Sadie Lorraine Liska

September 1939 is when Sadie started school at Our Lady of Good Council Catholic School in Oak Cliff (North Marsalis and Ninth St).

In 1948, her family moved to west Texas to farm some land located between Veribest, Mereta and Rowena, Texas. Sadie then attended San Angelo High School. She graduated early in 1950, prior to her 17th birthday. Immediately upon graduating, Sadie couldn’t wait to get back to the city so she moved to Dallas and stayed with a family friend. Sadie began attending Business College and became skilled at shorthand. In 1950, she began work for an executive labor contractor for Temco Aircraft. She was responsible for taking notes in executive meetings and then typing up the notes. The company was, at the time, being merged with Ling Electric and Vought Aerospace, and then became known as Ling-Temco-Vought or LTV Corporation.

Sadie met Bob Liska at the wedding of Johnny Mensik in October 1951. Sadie was a bridesmaid in the wedding and Bob asked her to dance. They parted ways and then Bob pursued contacting Sadie, eventually reaching back out to Valerie Patak who introduced the two. Valerie gave Bob the address for Sadie and he came calling. They began seeing each other and after dad graduated from the University of Houston in 1952, they got engaged and eventually married on May 26, 1953. They welcomed their first child, a daughter named Sadie, in December 1954. Then a second child, a son named Bobby in May 1957. The years 1958 thru 1966 welcomed the next four children – David, Jimmy, Carol and Janet.

From 1953 until 1964 Sadie and Bob made their home at 4615 Wadsworth in South Dallas. In 1963-1964 they built and moved to their current home in East Dallas. Sadie had quit work after having the first children and in order to make extra money and save for a new house, she sewed new clothes and also repaired clothes for neighbors and friends. Mom was a very good seamstress as she learned out of necessity to make clothes as there was not always an option to “buy” clothes. She would see garments and then go home and make them.

Sadie re-entered the workforce as the children grew. She concentrated on the insurance industry working for a number of brokers and agents throughout the years. Her attention to details and organizational skills meant that she fit very well into the industry concentrating mainly on life insurance and annuity products.

Even though Sadie never learned to swim, she made sure that her children had swimming lessons and belonged to the KC Dallas where they spent many summer afternoons at the pool. Even though Sadie was afraid of heights, the family took numerous trips to the west, over and through mountainous regions in order to visit her brother Marvin’s family in Las Vegas. Even though Sadie was afraid of the “limelight” – somehow all of her children were pushed into performing in front of crowds through school activities, social club activities and even professional acting theatre groups.

Sadie and Bob both encouraged their children to stay involved in extra activities. Sports, plays, dance, band, music lessons; these formed her kids into versatile and adaptable individuals.

Sadie loved to entertain and feed. She never had extravagant parties. Rather, she had large gatherings with lots and lots of food. Sadie was insistent on making sure that there was always plenty of leftovers and she always overestimated when it came to food.

The family were members of Holy Cross Catholic Church in the beginning. Moving to St. Bernard in the 1960’s and ultimately Bob and Sadie ending up at St. Pius X for the last 30 years. They provided 72 combined total years of Catholic education to the six children between Holy Cross, St. Bernard and Bishop Lynch High School.

Sadie was a member of numerous social, church, fraternal and professional organizations. Such associations include Catholic Daughters (St Pius), St Pius X Women’s Club, St Francis Circle (St Bernard), KJT Society #111, KJZT Society #108, RVOS Lodge 142, SPJST Lodge 84 , P.O.L.K. of A., Better Life – Dallas (fka WFLA) and Dallas Czech Singers. Sadie served as an officer in a number of these organizations for many years. She enjoyed the interactions that all of these organizations provided for her and the family. The Czech organizations provided so much social interaction and pleasure especially when it comes to dancing – something that she and Bob enjoyed immensely and were very skilled at.

Sadie is preceded in death by her parents, Emil and Sadie (Dusek) Slovacek, her brothers Emil and Marvin Slovacek, her in-law parents Joe and Philomena (Svehlak) Liska and her granddaughter Kristine Erin Liska. She is survived by her husband of 71 years, Bob G. Liska; sister-in-law Angie Slovacek; six children; Sadie Bell and husband Rusty, Bobby J Liska, David Liska and wife Diane, Jimmy Liska and wife Theresa, Carol Scott and husband Clint, Janet Songer and husband Scott. Grandchildren – TJ Bell (Brianna), Adam Bell , Jarrod Norton (Mary), Nathan Liska (Ashley), Sherry Miller (Tim), Ashley Colunga (Jordan), Matthew Chappel (Jennifer), Elizabeth Goldman (Ernest), Cody Scott (Kate), Cassidy Scott, Carson Scott, Landry Songer (Claire) and Gabriel Scott; Great-Grandchildren Shawn Norton, Kaylee Norton, Braden Miller, McKinley Miller, Sydney Miller, Brox Colunga, Lowe Colunga, Addison Bell, Hudson Bell, Peyton Goldman and Bennett Chappel; numerous nieces, nephews and family friends.

A visitation for Sadie will be held Thursday, November 21, 2024 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Sparkman-Crane Funeral Home, 10501 Garland Road, Dallas, TX 75218. A rosary will occur Thursday, November 21, 2024 from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM, 10501 Garland Road, Dallas, TX 75218. A mass of christian burial will occur Friday, November 22, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at St. Pius X Catholic Parish, 3030 Gus Thomasson Rd, Dallas, TX 75228. An interment will occur Friday, November 22, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM at St Joseph Cemetery, 300 S Jeter Dr, Ennis, TX 75119.