Elda
Elda Wessels
d. May 26, 2009
Elda Martha Marie Rohde Wessels, age 96, passed away on May 26, 2009 in Smithville, Texas. She was born on April 11, 1913 in Warrenton, Texas to parents John and Laura Brunken Rohde.
She was baptized December 21, 1913 at St. John’s Lutheran Church and confirmed April 10, 1927 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Warrenton, Texas. She married Edgar Wessels on November 14, 1933 in St. John’s Lutheran Church in Warrenton.
She went to school in Warrenton. She loved school and loved to compete in volleyball and basketball. She and her cousin Edna had matching dresses made for playing volleyball games. When she was just 16 she taught Sunday school in church.
When she was about 12 years old her family lived in Goliad for about a year and that is where she picked up her Spanish. She told many tales of that short time spent in South Texas and loved the old missions. Her daughter Marilyn and her son-in-law Scott would go to Goliad each December and put a historic program on at the Presidio La Bahia. She loved to dress up for the program. She would help pass out the programs and visit with old friends that she would see only once a year.
In later years when she might forget a friend’s name she never let on that she did not remember. She would just say “Oh you look so nice today” and that would make them feel good and always bring the response “So do you.” She loved and memorized the lyrics to the song “Beautiful, Beautiful Texas. ” She loved Texas history and the outdoors. She loved to go up to Monument Hill for the Texas Heroes Day and there she made many friends. She loved to have cookies brought to her.
She loved her two grandsons and granddaughter-in-law. She loved the tales that Jason & Julie told about fishing and hunting. She loved to hear the funny stories about Jason’s fishing buddy Russell, who later became her friend. She loved to share her love for animals and the farm with Kevin and enjoyed speaking Spanish and German with him.
She was a lifelong member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Warrenton, WELCA, and a member of SPJST Lodge Warrenton. She was a homemaker, and she worked in the floral and nursery business at Mueller’s Florist in La Grange for 15 years. She had a natural green thumb and loved to work in both flower and vegetable gardens.
She is survived by one son, James E. Wessels of Round Top; one daughter, Marilyn Dunbar and her husband Scott of Round Top; two grandsons, Jason Dunbar and his wife Julie of Austin and Kevin Dunbar of San Antonio; one brother, Elgin Rohde of Giddings and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Edgar Wessels; two brothers, Edwin and Elton Rohde; two sisters, Leona Weigelt and Irine Rohde.
Visitation is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Fayette Memorial Funeral Home in La Grange. The family will receive visitors from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Funeral services are scheduled for Friday, May 29, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at Fayette Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Reverend Karen Nelson will officiate at the service.
Arrangements entrusted to Fayette Memorial Funeral Home.
She was baptized December 21, 1913 at St. John’s Lutheran Church and confirmed April 10, 1927 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Warrenton, Texas. She married Edgar Wessels on November 14, 1933 in St. John’s Lutheran Church in Warrenton.
She went to school in Warrenton. She loved school and loved to compete in volleyball and basketball. She and her cousin Edna had matching dresses made for playing volleyball games. When she was just 16 she taught Sunday school in church.
When she was about 12 years old her family lived in Goliad for about a year and that is where she picked up her Spanish. She told many tales of that short time spent in South Texas and loved the old missions. Her daughter Marilyn and her son-in-law Scott would go to Goliad each December and put a historic program on at the Presidio La Bahia. She loved to dress up for the program. She would help pass out the programs and visit with old friends that she would see only once a year.
In later years when she might forget a friend’s name she never let on that she did not remember. She would just say “Oh you look so nice today” and that would make them feel good and always bring the response “So do you.” She loved and memorized the lyrics to the song “Beautiful, Beautiful Texas. ” She loved Texas history and the outdoors. She loved to go up to Monument Hill for the Texas Heroes Day and there she made many friends. She loved to have cookies brought to her.
She loved her two grandsons and granddaughter-in-law. She loved the tales that Jason & Julie told about fishing and hunting. She loved to hear the funny stories about Jason’s fishing buddy Russell, who later became her friend. She loved to share her love for animals and the farm with Kevin and enjoyed speaking Spanish and German with him.
She was a lifelong member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Warrenton, WELCA, and a member of SPJST Lodge Warrenton. She was a homemaker, and she worked in the floral and nursery business at Mueller’s Florist in La Grange for 15 years. She had a natural green thumb and loved to work in both flower and vegetable gardens.
She is survived by one son, James E. Wessels of Round Top; one daughter, Marilyn Dunbar and her husband Scott of Round Top; two grandsons, Jason Dunbar and his wife Julie of Austin and Kevin Dunbar of San Antonio; one brother, Elgin Rohde of Giddings and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Edgar Wessels; two brothers, Edwin and Elton Rohde; two sisters, Leona Weigelt and Irine Rohde.
Visitation is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Fayette Memorial Funeral Home in La Grange. The family will receive visitors from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Funeral services are scheduled for Friday, May 29, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at Fayette Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Reverend Karen Nelson will officiate at the service.
Arrangements entrusted to Fayette Memorial Funeral Home.
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