Alois Stephen Didner

Alois Stephen Didner, 95, of Victoria, Texas died on June 4 , 2020 at Southern Hospitality Home in Austin, Texas.  He will be interred at St. Mary’s Cemetery of the Church of the Visitation in Westphalia, Texas.

Al was born December 26, 1924 in Westphalia, one of seven children, to Andrew and Gertrude Rabroker Didner.  He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School in Westphalia and Lott High School in Lott, Texas.  During World War II Al served in the U.S. Army in the Philippines.

In 1947 Al went to work for Shell Oil as a roustabout in Sheridan, Texas and was injured in an oilfield explosion in 1948, returning to work after three months of recovery.  Al married Lois Neuendorff of Bernardo, Texas at St. Roch’s Catholic Church of Mentz, Texas in 1948 in a ceremony officiated by his brother, Rev. Andrew Didner.

Al worked as a lease operator in Sealy, Garwood, Eagle Lake, Rock Island, Nada and Bay City, Texas.  In 1964 he was promoted to maintenance foreman at Gohlke field near Victoria, Texas and worked in Houston and at McCook field near McAllen, Texas.   Al returned to Victoria in 1973 as production foreman, also managing fields at Sheridan and Provident City.  In 1981 he managed Bigfoot field near Pleasanton, Texas as well as some fields near Corpus Christi and wells near Bay City, Texas.  Al moved to Pleasanton in 1986, managing Bigfoot and Zapata fields.  At that time he also worked for a year in Caldwell, Texas and for two years a day a week in Louisiana.  Al retired in 1989, returning to Victoria, Texas after 42 ½ years with Shell Oil.

Al enjoyed playing golf, dominoes and cards at the Riverside Golf Course in Victoria, Texas.  He also enjoyed hunting, photography, car travel to national parks and the wide open spaces of the United States and visiting with his sisters, Elizabeth, Helen and Cathie Didner of Westphalia, Texas.  Al was a longtime member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Victoria, Texas.

Al is survived by four daughters, Pat Didner of Long Island City, New York, Kay Huggins of Chester, Texas, Jo Didner of Egypt, Texas, and Babs Didner of Austin, Texas, and their families, including 3 grandsons, 1 granddaughter, 1 great grandson and 3 great granddaughters.

Memorials may be made to the Clerical Endowment Fund, the rebuilding fund for the Church of the Visitation, Westphalia, Texas or the charity of your choice.