Recent Obituaries

Apr 9, 2003

Gertrude Goeke Mutscher of Brenham, died on April 9, 2003, at Kruse Memorial Lutheran Village in Brenham. She was 94 years of age. Mrs. Mutscher was well-known in the community, dearly loved by her children, enjoyed and respected by her friends, admired by fellow church members, and was the wife of the late Gus Mutscher for 67 years. Mrs....

Apr 7, 2003

Elvin Rapalo, 21, of Brenham died April 7, 2003, in Temple, TX. Mr. Rapalo was born Dec. 10, 1981, in Honduras to Lillian Garcia and Emilio Aguilar. He was employed at Cleaners Hangers. Survivors include his mother, Lillian Garcia of Brenham; brothers, Alex Rapalo and Christian Garcia, both of Brenham; sisters, Celeste Garcia of Brenham, Daniela Lopez of Brenham...

Apr 7, 2003

Raymond Lee Gibbs, Sr., 83, of Brenham, died April 7, 2003, in the V.A. Hospital in Waco. Mr. Gibbs was born Feb. 22, 1920, in Unitcia, TN, to David Alonza and Alice Ward Gibbs. He was baptized in New Providence Baptist Church in Dutch Valley, TN. During World War II, he served with the United States Marines in the...

Apr 6, 2003

Debra Snow Budnik, 43, entered into eternal rest on April 6, 2003. Cancer could not conquer her indomitable spirit. She possessed incredible strength, a strong will and great love for her family and friends. She was born June 14, 1959, in Houston, Texas, preceded in death by her father, Arthur Kirschke and is survived by her loving family, husband,...

Apr 5, 2003

Edwin William Wensel, 82, of Brenham, died April 5, 2003, in Brenham Rest Home. Mr. Wensel was born Sept. 18, 1920, in Washington County, TX, to August and Mathilda Guthmann Wensel. He was baptized in St. John s United Church of Christ in Burton and was confirmed April 14, 1935, in the same church. He attended Mill Creek and...

Mar 31, 2003

Ruby Madlyn Wallis, 87, passed away on March 31, 2003, in The Woodlands, Texas. She was born July 28, 1915, in Iota, Louisiana. She and her deceased husband, William R. Wallis, lived in Houston for many years. She retired from Shell Oil after more than 40 years of service. Upon retirement, she and her husband moved to Brenham, Texas....

Mar 27, 2003

Fred Ruemke, 78, of Brenham, died March 27, 2003, in a Houston hospital. Mr. Ruemke was born Sept. 16, 1924, in the Zionsville community of Washington County, TX, to Reinhardt and Emma Heins Ruemke. He was baptized March 8, 1925, in Zion Lutheran Church in Zionsville and was later confirmed in the Lutheran faith. He attended Greenvine Grammar School....

Mar 24, 2003

Gertrude Springer Bilski, 74, of Chappell Hill, TX, died March 24, 2003, in Colonial Belle Nursing Home in Sealy, TX. Mrs. Bilski was born Jan. 2, 1929, in Chappell Hill, TX, to Henry and Sophie Lewandowski Springer. She was baptized and confirmed in St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Chappell Hill. On April 5, 1995, she married Victor Bilski in...

Mar 13, 2003

Ike Selvester Nowak, 80, of Cypress, died March 13, 2003, at his residence. Mr. Nowak was born July 30, 1922, in Chappell Hill, Texas, to Stanley and Mary Cegielski Nowak. He was baptized Jan. 31, 1922 in Chappell Hill and was confirmed in Richmond. Mr. Nowak was educated at Richmond High School. He served in the U.S. Air Force...

Mar 12, 2003

Ola Betts Casey died March 12, 2003, in Kruse Memorial Lutheran Village in Brenham, TX. She was born in Union County, AR, at Old Union Juno on June 11, 1902, to Sam Davis and Lizzie Perry Betts. She was the last surviving member of the Sam Davis Betts family. She was a longtime resident of Union County and El...

Mar 6, 2003

Dora Hohlt Engelbrecht was born the 9th day of October, 1911, in Long Point, Texas, the daughter of Theodore and Mary Hohlt. She entered into eternal rest on Thursday, March 6, 2003, at Fayette Memorial Hospital in La Grange, Texas. She was 91 years old. Mrs. Engelbrecht was educated in the Long Point School system. She was united in...

Mar 4, 2003

Robert Preuss, Sr., 92, of Brenham, died March 4, 2003, in Trinity Care Center in Brenham. Mr. Preuss was born Sept. 27, 1910, in Washington County, Texas, to Willie and Louise Quebe Preuss. He was baptized in 1910 in St. John s Lutheran Church in Prairie Hill by Pastor Apfelbach and was confirmed April 10, 1927, in Zion Lutheran...

Mar 4, 2003

Lawrence Arthur Schmidt, 83, of Burton, died March 3, 2003, in St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan. Mr. Schmidt was born May 22, 1919, in Burton, to Arthur and Elise Stork Schmidt. He was educated at the Greenvine School. On Oct. 13, 1940, he married Elvera Neutzler in Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Greenvine. Mr. Schmidt was a retired...

Feb 27, 2003

Virginia Wolfe, 78, of Brenham, died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2003, at her residence. Mrs. Wolfe was born Feb. 11, 1925, in Houston, to Clifford T. and Pearl L. Walters McAlexander. She was a graduate of Jefferson Davis High School in Houston. In 1952, she was baptized in Garden Oaks Baptist Church. During World War II, she worked at the...

Feb 27, 2003

Robert Temple Effinger, Jr., Bob , a native Texan, was born in San Antonio, Texas on December 22, 1912 to Robert Temple Effinger Sr. and Faye Hall. His family transferred to Houston, Texas where Bob attended Hamilton Jr. High and Reagan High School. He worked nights at the Houston Public Library and excelled as an athlete. He worked his...

Feb 25, 2003

Peter Alexander Gurka, 49, of Chappell Hill, died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2003, in Trinity Medical Center in Brenham. Mr. Gurka was born July 2, 1953, in Houston, to Billie Anton and Irene Konieczny Gurka. He was baptized in St. Francis of Assisi Church in Houston and was confirmed in St. Mary s Catholic Church in Plantersville. Mr. Gurka was...

Feb 24, 2003

Lola Jean Eberhardt, 81, of Burton, passed away Monday, Feb. 24, 2003, at Trinity Medical Center. Born Lola Jean Knittel to Emojene and Arnie Knittel, she married Lawrence Eberhardt on Dec. 25, 1939. Together they had one daughter, three sons, a daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren. She is also survived by three sisters. She was preceded in death by her...

Feb 23, 2003

Alton R. Wendler, 80, of Brenham, died Sunday, Feb. 23, 2003, in Trinity Medical Center in Brenham. Mr. Wendler was born April 20, 1922, in Washington County, TX to Herman H. and Alvina Jurchak Wendler. He attended Mill Creek School. On Oct. 21, 1947, he married Erna Mae Ludwig. She preceded him in death on March 26, 1972. On...

Feb 23, 2003

Erwin Otto Zibilski, 86, of Brenham, died Thursday, February 20, 2003 in a Bryan nursing home.

He was the last of seven children born to Carl and Anna Helm Zibilski on July 21, 1916 in Burton, Texas. Erwin was baptized October 16 , 1916, and later confirmed in St. John s United Church of Christ in Burton...

Feb 21, 2003

David Clarence Schlipf, 67, of Brenham, TX died peacefully at Gazebo Terrace. He was born in Rocky Ridge, Ohio. Dave worked for New York Central Railroad as a heavy equipment operator for eight years. After receiving a BS degree in civil engineering from Tri State College, Angola, IN in December 1963, he began a 25-year career with Alcoa Aluminium...