Lillian Mae Motl Pagel, 94, of San Angelo went to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, July 18, 2015.
Services will be held Friday, July 24th at 10 am at Wall Brethren Church in Wall, TX, and Saturday, July 25th at 11 am at Ocker Brethren Church east of Temple, TX, with interment immediately following at Salem Lutheran Church Cemetery near Barclay, TX.
Lillian was born on December 11, 1920 on a farm near Miles to Vince and Frances Bedrich Motl. The family lived there until 1924 when they moved to Bell County. She was one of five children and grew up on a cotton farm east of Temple. She attended Thompson and Oenaville schools and Rosebud High School. As a child, Lillian attended Ocker Brethren Church were she was confirmed in the Czech language.
Lillian returned to Temple in 1943 and married Louis Pagel Jr. on April 1, 1945, in Terry's Chapel Lutheran Church in Barclay. They had one daughter, Delores Diane Pagel Bounds.
She spent numerous years employed by A&P, Bonham School and Ponca Candy Company. For 10 years, the Pagels owned and operated The Learning Tree Day Care Center in Temple. Lillian loved people and always took pride in doing a good job and serving others.
Louis became ill with cancer in 1990, so the couple and their daughter and her family moved to Houston to be near the medical center. During that time Lillian and Delores opened a day care business in their home.
Lillian was "Granny" to many young children. Her fun personality, small stature and overwhelming love for children made her popular among the youngsters. She and her sister, Evelyn, enjoyed babysitting when both were well into their 80s.
After Louis' death in September 1990 and Delores' death in April 1997, the day care closed and Lillian moved to San Angelo to be near her sister and brother-in-law. Eddie passed away in April 2001, and Lillian moved in with Evelyn and the two shared a home in San Angelo for 10 ½ years. They enjoyed going to church together, dominoes gardening, yard work, sewing, canning beets and pickles, making picante sauce, attending Polka dances in Wall, cooking, taking trips with Evelyn's children, Chris and Joyce, and hiding things from each other.
Aunt Lil was most in her element when she was sitting in a deer blind or hunting with her Winchester 20 gauge shotgun, on a dock with a fishing pole, or on the porch trying to catch dove while drinking a Miller Lite that she opened at 9 am that morning which she sipped on all day. She never had a negative word to say about anyone and loved to visit with friends and neighbors. Pets and animals were always a special part of her life.
Lillian is preceded in death by her parents, husband and daughter, one brother Charles Motl and three sisters, Gardeen Sell, Julia Juroska and Evelyn Bubenik and their spouses.
Survivors include her granddaughter, Bridgette Bounds of Pilot Mountain, NC and nieces and nephews, Ernesteen "Tenny" Doan, Joyce (Tim) Piland and Chris (Jackie) Bubenik, all of San Angelo, Darlene (David) Wyatt of Chappell Hill, Roger (Alice) Sell of Littlefield, Carolyn Jones of Hereford, Bill (Genny) Juroska of Troy, Bob (Charlotte) Juroska of Temple, Curtis (Lorraine) Motl of Katy, Sharon Arney of Houston, Charlene (Clifford) Baggett of Iola, their families and numerous other family members.
Lillian was an amazing little lady with an endless sense of humor, undying love for all, and smile that could light up a room. She will be dearly missed by all.
Pallbearers will be Bill Juroska, Bob Juroska, Curtis Motl, Clifford Baggett, Chris Bubenik, David Wyatt, Chance Ames, Danny Piland, Patrick Bubenik, Chase Bubenik, and Eric Schmalbach.
The family would like to thank Maria "Minnie" Garcia for her care of Lillian and special neighbor, Jeri Bodine.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorials be given to Critter Shack Rescue/ Sharon Halfmann, PO Box 192, Wall, TX 76957 or a favorite charity.
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