Anna K. Black

Our sweet, kind, and loving Mom passed away Christmas Eve. She was beautiful both inside and out and we are so grateful for her life. Her face was always lit up with a smile and she was generous with hugs. She loved people, loved to laugh, and was always eager to have fun. We treasure her and the wonderful memories. She was such a joy and will be greatly missed.

She was born Anna Kowtko on November 13, 1926, in Shelton, Connecticut, the youngest of five children born to Wasil (William) and Eva Kowtko. Mom always said that she never had a middle name until she was married. She shared a birthday with her older twin, Helen. The twins were not identical, but looked enough alike to substitute for each other in an occasional school class. Apparently, someone didn’t like math!

She graduated from high school in Shelton in 1944 and went to work for Chance Vought, an aircraft manufacturing company.

She was an adventurer! In 1948, when she was just 21 years old, she was invited to move to Texas as part of her company’s relocation. This was a wonderful opportunity, but highly unusual because a young, single woman in those days was expected to live at home until marrying. Maybe to discourage her from moving, people convinced her that Texans still rode horses instead of driving cars! While here in Texas, she lived with four other young women in Mrs. M’s home in Oak Cliff.

The decision to move across the country proved to be a prophetic choice. Mutual friends and future Arlington neighbors, “Gus” and Julie Gustafson, introduced her to her future husband, Ernest L. Black, who was also employed at LTV. They had six children, four boys and two girls in just seven years, and were married for 30 years, until his death in 1986.

She was a treasured matriarch to us and encouraged us to remain a close-knit family. For many years, all of us were invited to her house on Friday nights to watch the TV show “Dallas” and eat pizza. She was always fair to everyone and didn’t have any favorites among her children. Except for one brother, who claimed to be her favorite, and he shall remain nameless!

She loved family activities and neighborhood get-togethers. For many years, the ladies of the neighborhood got together for a weekly sewing club. She was able to celebrate a special 65th birthday with her twin sister here. A highlight was the birthday cake with 200 candles on it, 65 candles apiece for the twins and 70 for their sister-in-law! She also enjoyed traveling on family vacations with her adult children, which included family ski trips, special trips to Canada and England, and annual visits to Florida to visit her twin sister, Helen.

She loved to laugh and people loved to be around her. Even during these final months, she would laugh when her aide, Grace, would sing and dance! If any of us live to be 97, we hope to have her joyful smile and attitude! She will live in our hearts forever.

She is survived by all six children, Holly Ober (Craig), Ernie Black, Jim Black (Lori), Bill Black (Chris), Charlie Black (Mary), Audrey Black (Judy); 16 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents Wasil and Eva, husband Ernest, brothers Samuel and Nicholas, and sisters Mary and Helen.

The family would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Saint Gabriel’s Hospice for their loving care and a special thanks to her aide, Grace, who has become part of our family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations are made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Saint Gabriel’s Hospice, or your charity of choice.