Ora Nell Kuretsch

Ora Nell Knebel Kuretsch claimed her baptismal promise on June 19, 2025. She was the third of three children born to Emil Reinhard and Marie Pauline Jahnz Knebel on July 20, 1931, at home in the LaBahia community in Washington County. Ora Nell was baptized August 30, 1931. She reaffirmed her faith, being confirmed on June 24, 1945, at Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine, Texas.

As a child Ora Nell walked to attend Boundary School and later attended school in Burton. Ora Nell's mother died when she was only ten, and her father died when she seventeen. She helped her brothers on the farm. As a young adult she would take the bus to Austin on Sundays, stay with her Aunt Lena Hamilton, and worked for Dr. Althaus, a dentist. She would return home each weekend.

In 1951, she met William "Red" Kuretsch from Brenham, Texas at a dance. They dated, danced, and then married on September 28, 1957, at Martin Luther Lutheran Church by Rev A. H. Hannemann. William worked on a seismograph crew. She was a homemaker and always had things packed and ready to go as they moved to various Texas towns every few months. Red and Ora Nell had their first daughter, Katie, in Hillsboro, Texas in 1959. In their first "married life" move to Brenham, their second daughter, Melissa, was born in December 1960. Several moves and several years later, on their second move to Nacogdoches, Red and Ora Nell had their third daughter, Karla, in October 1966.

With two of their girls in school and the seismograph crews having to go farther away, they made their final move to Brenham. Red would travel to the crew locations, and Ora Nell stayed with the girls, where there were family and friends nearby. As a wife and mother, she sewed most of her daughters' clothing until they reached high school, and even then, some of them. She made jelly and pickles, and canned and preserved many of the fruits and vegetables from their garden.

Once all the girls were in school, Ora Nell also began working outside the home. She worked at a printing company, a nursing home kitchen, and finally as a direct care aid at the Brenham State School, where she retired from in 1996.

Ora Nell always enjoyed playing dominoes, cards, and board games, but after her daughters were grown, married and out of the house, she learned to play pitch, and had a weekly pitch game with several special friends. She and Red also played pitch at local church senior days, and the Brenham Community senior center.

Ora Nell loved having her girls and their families over for the holidays or just because. Always serving delicious food and desserts.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband, William "Red" Kuretsch, her daughters and sons in law, Katie Brinkman and husband, Keith, Melissa Ullrich and husband, Kevin, and Karla Stelter, and husband Allan. Also surviving are her grandchildren Kary Brinkman; Katterli Becker and husband, Geoff; Kasey Ullrich; Kelley Ullrich and his wife Kaylie; Shane Stelter; and Jaime Kazyak and husband, Michael; as well as her great grandchildren Janna Brinkman, Rebel Becker, Blayden Ullrich, Harper and River Kazyak.

Ora Nell was preceded in death by her parents Emil and Marie Knebel; brothers and sisters in law Elton and Aline Knebel and Wilbert and Lovie Knebel; sisters in law and husbands Ann and Johnny Berry, Hennie Chapman, and Alice and Ray DeLoach.

The pallbearers are Kary Brinkman, Geoff Becker, Kasey Ullrich, Kelley Ullrich, Shane Stelter, Michael Kazyak, Gary Knebel and Brian Knebel. Honorary pallbearers are Katterli Becker, Jaime Kazyak, Mischelle Schwartz, and Randy Schwartz.

Visitation will be held with family present Sunday, June 29, 5 - 7 pm, at Memorial Oaks Funeral Chapel. Funeral services will be held Monday, June 30 at 10 am at Christ Lutheran Church. Memorial contributions may be directed to Christ Lutheran Church, Hospice Brazos Valley, or any charity of your choice.