01/08/2026
Anna Fulbright
On the afternoon of January 5, 2026, Anna Janicek Fulbright, our beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend, joined Our Lord and her beloved husband John in heaven. She was 98.
Anna was born in Temple, Texas on June 8, 1927, to Klara Mikeska Janicek and Hubert Alois Janicek. She was the second of three children. She attended Vandiver Elementary School, St. Mary’s Catholic School, Central Junior High, and Temple High School. She was valedictorian of her junior high class and salutatorian of her high school class.
Anna first attended Temple Junior College in 1945. Later, she attended The University of Texas at Austin. While at UT, Anna wrote for the campus newspaper, The Daily Texan, as the Night Amusements Editor. Additionally, she was accepted into Theta Sigma Phi, a national and professional journalism fraternity for women. She was also invited into The Texas Orange Jackets and Mortar Board, which are both service organizations that seek students who have been active on campus. As she earned her degree, she worked as Publicity Chair for the Texas Union. In her last year at UT, she won a nationwide writing contest sponsored by Mademoiselle Magazine of New York and was flown to Manhattan for a job interview. She was offered a job but ultimately decided against working there and returned home. Later, she accepted a job as editor of The Alcalde, UT’s alumni publication.
Anna was a woman of faith her entire life. She joined a Catholic student organization at UT called the Newman Club, which would prove to be consequential. On February 9, 1947, the Newman Club had an open house and dance. John Fulbright, a UT Law School student, “cut in” on her on the dance floor and introduced himself. He later asked to walk her home. And so began the romance of a lifetime. Anna graduated from UT in 1947 with a Bachelor of Journalism. She and John were married on October 22, 1949, and moved to Waco where John would begin his law practice with Charles Koehne.
While John worked to grow his client base, Anna worked at the VA to contribute to their finances. John was known to say that they would have starved to death in those early days if Anna had not worked.
In the fall of 1951, they welcomed their first child—a beautiful daughter, Katherine Anne! Over the next fourteen years came five boys (John, Tom, David, Paul and Mike) before their family was completed by the arrival of their seventh child, another beautiful daughter, Carole Jean! Anna was busy to say the least. John’s practice grew and she was able to stay at home and tame the chaos! She was a wonderful, organized woman and mother, and despite all the child-care and home responsibilities, she frequently volunteered at the Catholic schools and the church.
Church, education, family, and friends were the focuses of Anna’s life. Whatever Anna participated in, she rose to the top in leadership, and her skills did not go unnoticed! She was able to accomplish so much due to her determination, kindness, work ethic, and organizational skills. She planned family reunions, visits to Waco by the bishop, fundraising events for the church and schools, and much more. She was instrumental in starting the Women’s Society at St. Louis Catholic Church. She was President of Reicher Band Boosters from 1983 to 1984. She received the Reicher High Cougar Medallion award for service in 1984. She volunteered in the annual St. Louis School Carnival. She even led a 4-H group that taught cooking and sewing skills. On top of it all, she was a highly skilled seamstress! For 50 years, she had the assistance of a wonderful woman, Laura Mack, who helped ease Anna’s load at home so that she could participate in so many community efforts.
Anna also joined a Bible study group that met for over 50 years, simply called Study Club, where she nurtured lifelong friends.
She and John worked hard and eventually put all seven children through college: one UT Austin graduate and six Texas A&M graduates. One of Anna’s children, who has many degrees and much professional experience in the workplace, said he viewed Anna as the most successful person he ever met.
Anna always had an interest in the arts. So, as many of the children departed for school, and she had more time, she re-enrolled in school. She attained an Associates Degree in Applied Art – Commercial Art and Advertising in 1983 from TSTI. She did a lot of painting and drawing during this time of her life.
Throughout their lives together, Anna and John enjoyed the company of many very close friends. In later years, they traveled frequently with family and friends to Port Aransas, various US destinations, and to Europe. And trips to Lake Waco for barge outings were always highly anticipated events.
Anna’s life was filled to the brim with family, friends, and faith. With the most loving husband, the marriages of her children, the blessings of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and the good fortune of lifelong friends, her life was enriched at every stage, surrounded by love until the very end.
The family wishes to express the deepest gratitude to John Fulbright Jr. who has been Anna’s constant companion and caregiver since John Sr. passed in 2019.
Anna is survived by her seven children and their spouses: Kathy & David Hradecky, John Fulbright Jr., Tom and Suzie Fulbright, David and Sandy Fulbright, Paul and Mary Fulbright, Mike and Desiree Fulbright, and Carole and John Blythe. Additionally, she is survived by her sisters-in-law Martha Verme and Marilyn Fulbright. Anna’s family includes seventeen grandchildren and spouses, twelve great grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Other living family members include Dena Fulbright and Rita Cotterly.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Anna’s name to the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, 909 West Shaw St., Fort Worth, Tx 76110 or to Reicher Catholic High School, 2102 North 23rd St., Waco, Tx 76708.
Visitation will begin at 6:00 p.m. Friday, January 9, 2026 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home 6101 Bosque Blvd. Waco, TX 76710. Eulogy and Rosary will follow.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 12:00 p.m. Saturday January 10, 2026, at St. Louis Catholic Church 2001 North 25th St. Waco, TX 76708
Burial to follow church service at Rosemound Cemetery 3201 South 12th St. Waco TX 76706.
Meal after cemetery service at Casa de Castillo Restaurant 4820 Sanger Ave. Waco, TX 76710.
The family invites you to leave a message or memory of Anna online at our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WHBfamily.com.
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