"Ginger" Virginia Louise Cervenka

Virginia “Ginger” Louise Cervenka, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on January 27, 2025 after a lengthy, courageous battle with lung cancer. She was 76 years old.

Ginger, as she was known to family and friends, was born July 12, 1948 in Taylor, Texas to Clarence and Minnie (Schroeder) Zieschang. She had four siblings, brothers Gary and Franklin, and sisters Barbara and Joan. The family grew up in a farmhouse south of Thrall, Texas and attended Christ Lutheran Church down the road in Noack, Texas where Ginger was baptized and confirmed. Ginger attended school in Thrall and graduated in 1966. She participated in band and played the clarinet but also performed as a twirler, often recounting how they would practice marching for miles out in the country. During her youth, Ginger worked as a waitress at Zieschang’s Bar and Grill in Noack which was owned and operated by family members. 

In 1965, Ginger met Larry Cervenka at her sister Barbara’s wedding. It turned out that Larry was a cousin of Barbara’s husband Norbert Matula. Larry and Ginger were married on February 17, 1968 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Taylor. 

After high school, Ginger began working at the Texas Youth Commission in Austin. Both of her sisters also worked on the same floor but for different state agencies. Ginger stopped working there after a few years in order to start a family. Larry and Ginger had two sons in the years ahead. Troy was born June 16, 1971, and Gene was born May 29, 1975. She was a loving and caring mother who always put her family’s health first, even in times of her own sickness and health issues.

After the boys were older, Ginger went back to work as an administrative assistant. She worked in Taylor at a law firm as well as for an electronics company. However, she spent most of her career working at the American Cancer Society regional headquarters in Austin. She was the voice and face of the organization for the next 20 years, answering incoming phone calls and was the first person to greet people at the front desk. There could have been no one better equipped for that role as she always displayed a professional, caring, and loving attitude as well as her bright smile which no doubt helped people that were going through the hardships of cancer. She retired in 2010 and now had more time to do the things that she loved like cooking and baking in the kitchen, tending to the flowers and plants in the yard, and driving with Larry to the casinos in Louisiana! Ginger made many new friends on those trips, often seeing and visiting with the same people months and years later. Ginger also loved spending time with her grandkids, attending many of their sporting events and activities throughout the years. 

Ginger is preceded in death by her parents Clarence and Minnie as well as brothers Gary and Frank. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Larry, sons Troy (Sheila) Cervenka and Gene Cervenka, grandson Tanner Cervenka, granddaughter Morgan Cervenka, step-grandson Logan Lee, sisters Barbara (Norbert) Matula and Joan (Stanley) Miller, sisters-in-law Linda Zieschang, Linda Barnes, and Nell (Ed) Dohnalik, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

Pallbearers are Keith Barnes, Mark Dohnalik, James Matysek, Joe Tolasek, Jon Fischer, and Tim Craig. Honorary pallbearers are Dean Zieschang, Robert Zieschang, Jason Miller, Adolph Supak, Don Grobowsky, Danny Dunn, Cliff Taylor, Tommy Schwartz, Tanner Cervenka and Logan Lee. 

Ginger and her family would like to thank her doctors, nurses, and caregivers over the years. She will be deeply missed by everyone that had ever met her. In lieu of flowers, her family would like to request that donations be made to the American Cancer Society (https://www.cancer.org/).