Janette Kuzmich

Hazel Janette Booker Kuzmich, age 94, of Evansville, IN, passed away on Friday, May 29, 2026. She was born in Bay Minette, Alabama to Clarice Brown Booker and Chiply Booker. Janette moved with her family to Evansville in 1939. She was a graduate of Central High School, Class of 1950, and attended Bramwell’s Business College.

Janette was a talented, self taught artist. After moving to Texas in 1959, she attended several oil and watercolor workshops, and later concentrated on using pastels. She completed many pastel portraits over the years. She was also a talented seamstress. In 1966, she entered a designer silk suit in a statewide sewing contest, and placed second overall.

In 1972, while living in Midland, Texas, she attended aviation ground school and was later awarded a Private Pilot license. She continued to fly occasionally for the next 20 years.

In 1980, while living near Kerrville, Texas, Janette met with representatives from the Texas Highway Department, and implemented the first “Adopt-a-Highway” system in the Texas Hill Country.

In 1999, Janette, then a widow of ten years, married long time friend Rudolph (Rudy) Kuzmich, formerly of Mt. Carmel, Illinois and Racho Viejo, Texas. They settled in San Antonio, and traveled often, spending several winters in Palm Desert, California, and summers in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. After Rudy’s death in 2016, Janette returned to Evansville to be near family.

She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Alamo Defenders Descendants Association of San Antonio, having been a lateral descendant of William Barrett Travis.

She wrote an autobiography entitled “1506,” while in her seventies, which told of her family’s ancestry as well as her memoirs. After moving to Evansville, she joined the local American Contract Bridge League, where she enjoyed playing Duplicate Bridge and establishing new friendships.

Janette was preceded in death by her husband, Rudy Kuzmich; her parents, Chiply Booker and Clarice Jones; sister, Alice June Booker Gross; and brother, Jerald Max Booker.

She is survived by her son, Greg Hill of Greenwood, Indiana; daughter, Christi Tooley of Evansville; grandchildren, Rachel (Rusty) Moorman, Ryan Minnis, Alicia (Glenn) LaFollette, Megan Hill, Audra Stam; and great-grandchildren, Claire and Aedan Moorman.

Services and Burial will be private.

Boone Funeral Home East Chapel – A Family Tradition Funeral Home, 5330 Washington Avenue, Evansville, IN, is handling the arrangements and is honored to serve the family of Hazel Kuzmich. Condolences may be made to the family online at boonefuneralhome.net

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