Agnes Marie Crider
Agnes Marie Crider, 93, of Marble Falls passed away Jan. 12, 2013. She was born April 5, 1919, in Brenham to Stephan and Rosalie Michalak. Agnes was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
On June 29, 1941, she married J.R. “Pete” Crider in Brenham. The couple moved to his hometown of Marble Falls, where they lived for 71 happy years.
Moving to Marble Falls in 1941 and being a devout Catholic meant she had to travel as far as Lampasas and later Burnet or Bertram to attend Mass in an actual church. She told stories of Mass being locally celebrated out of the bed of a pickup truck, usually once a month. She would drive around gathering migrant workers, immersing herself in the Spanish language, which added to her Polish as well. Soon, Mass was held in the home of Herbert Huber. When his house was sold, Mass was celebrated in a tent borrowed from Clements Funeral Home.
Agnes continued to be an active worker and supporter through the time St. John the Evangelist Church was built and the congregation grew. Therefore, the church was a major part of her life.
She was a Boy Scout and Girl Scout leader, a room mother and a booster/volunteer for organizations at school, where going to sports events meant working in the concession stand.
In 1957, she began working for the United States Postal Service, retiring in 1981. After retirement, she spent many happy days traveling with her husband. Adventures ranged from Texas “travel-trailer” trips to touring the United States, including Alaska, and Europe, Mexico and South America. Her family looked forward to her holiday turkey and dressing with pecan pie as well as the fish fries she and Pete would host after fishing trips. She was “Grandmommy” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whom she dearly loved.
Agnes and Pete celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2011 with a party at Gateway Gardens Assisted Living, where they lived since 2005. Included in this momentous occasion, was an endowment to Highland Lakes Legacy Fund so a scholarship in their name could be presented to a Marble Falls High School senior each year.
Her brothers Alex, Eddie, Leonard, Burney, Stanley and Charles Michalak and sister Annie preceded Agnes in death. Her surviving family includes husband Pete, who resides at Gateway Gardens Assisted Living; daughters Kay Berger and husband Bill of Blanco and Nancy Pettersen and husband Pete of Spring Branch; son Jerry Crider of Corpus Christi; grandchildren Beth McManus, Bill, Michael and Margaret Berger, Stacy Richards and Jennifer Miskovsky; and great-grandchildren Tim McManus, Drew Westerfelt and Sarah and Ella Miskovsky. Agnes is also survived by sisters Rose Moehlman of Brenham and Florence McDaniel of Austin and many nieces and nephews. She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.
Visitation is 6 p.m. Jan. 14 at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 1805 U.S. 281 North in Marble Falls, (830) 693-4373. A Rosary will follow at 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Jan. 15 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Marble Falls. Interment will follow at Marble Falls City Cemetery.
The family would like to extend their gratitude for the years of loving care and kindness she received from the entire staff at Gateway Gardens with special thanks to Mary Reed and Kim Flook. We can never thank you enough. Thank you also to personal caregivers Rosie Franco, Laura Brown, Yolanda Sosa, Maria Cowen and Elizabeth Landeros. Also, our gratitude goes to Seton Highland Lakes Hospice.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the Highland Lakes Legacy Fund for the “Crider Family Scholarship Fund.”
Condolences to the family may be made at www.clementswilcoxfuneralhome.com.