Birdie Mae Stolle

On April 8, 2021, Birdie Mae Marie Stolle passed away peacefully at the SPJST Senior Living Home after a full life of 85 years. Birdie was born in El Campo on May 5, 1935 to the late Birdie Henkhaus and Edward Leo Frels and was raised in the Jones Creek area.

At the young age of 17, she met and married her beloved husband A.J Stolle of Wharton. They were united in marriage on February 16, 1953 in El Campo, Texas. Over the course of the next few years they welcomed three children Joe, John, & Mary Ann into their family. A.J and Birdie were married just shy of 66 years before his passing in 2019.

Birdie devoted her entire life to being a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and a good friend to many. She was a wonderful role model to her family and expressed what it meant to love and care with all you had. 

Early on, Birdie was an excellent cook. On any given day around “dinner time” you would find her finishing up a hot meal for AJ, and anyone else who may stop by. If there wasn’t enough to eat, she would be quick to throw something together so they too could eat, and of course visit a while. Birdie never wasted anything knowing it could always be used for something. She was a “leftovers” queen and put any and every empty butter container or fruit cocktail cup to good use in the fridge. She appreciated everything big or small.

Birdie was a dedicated member of Holy Family Catholic Church where her and A.J had a front row parking spot along with a particular pew they sat in every Saturday evening for mass. Even if it meant arriving for church thirty minutes early, they would keep to the routine each week. Church was important to her. Birdie contributed many hours of time serving on the Holy Family Alter Society. Her favorite time of year was Easter when the church would be cleaned by the society and the alter would be filled with beautiful Easter Lillies. She loved all flowers, but roses and lilies were her favorite. Her flower garden at home was where she enjoyed spending lots of time.

In addition to gardening, she was a gifted seamstress. Whether it be sewing on a button, hemming a pant leg, or sewing an entire quilt, she excelled at all of it. If you happened to stop by her house in the afternoon, you just might find a quilting frame set up in the living room. She took great pride in her work and valued the time she spent with the “quilting ladies”. There were many years of quilting conversations that took place around that quilting frame, along with many special blankets and quilts made special for her family.

No matter how busy, Birdie always made time for trips to El Campo where she would have coffee, homemade desserts and visits with her sisters. If you knew Birdie, you knew she had a sweet tooth. She loved every kind of homemade strudel or kolache-poppyseed being her favorite. If she ever felt bad, it was never because of the sweets she had eaten. She shared her love for sweets and many recipes with her family over the years. Her baking skills were superb.

Above all, one of her greatest blessings in life did not come until later when her and AJ had grandchildren and then great grandchildren. Her smile would light up a room when they came to visit. From baking kolaches, to trips to the nail salon, attending birthday parties, dance recitals, ball games, you name it..she was there with a smile. She was always ready to go and never turned down a chance to spend time with them. A special memory from all of her grandchildren will forever be her lengthy voicemails she would leave them. Some short and sweet, yet most were minutes long just checking in and wondering when we were coming to visit next. Time with her family meant the world to her.

Birdie was preceded in death by her parents; four sisters and two brothers; husband A.J Stolle; and late son in law, Larry Wright of Houston. She is survived by her sons; Joe Stolle and wife, Carole of Wharton; John Stolle and wife, Lisa of Wharton; daughter Mary Ann Wright and husband Kirk of Spring; 6 grandchildren; Bonnie Kocurek and husband Larry of East Bernard; Joni Stolle of Houston; Brandon Wright and wife Michaelyn of McKinney; Nicole Stolle of Wharton; Kelsey Walenta and husband Michael of Needville;  Sarah Powell and husband Shelby of Spring; along with 8 great grandchildren; Preston, Kynlee, Kalli, Everly, Zoey, Grace, Blakely, & Hannah. Serving as pallbearers are lifelong friends/family; Ellwood Hermansen, Donald Kainer, Jimmy Kainer, Bill Kostka, Jim Kostka, and Michael Watz.

The family would like to express our sincere gratitude to all her caregivers, Dora Campos, Mary Valdez, Gloria Cerrillo, Robert Campos and Martha Carmack, for the lengthy time they spent caring for Birdie. The family would also like to express our sincere gratitude to the staff at SPJST Senior Living Home in Hillje and the wonderful IPH hospice team.

Visitation will be held on Sunday evening, April 11^th beginning at 5 p.m. at Wharton Funeral Home, 515 Boling Highway Wharton, with a Holy Rosary recited at 7 p.m.  A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Family Catholic Church, 2011 Briar Lane Wharton, on Monday, April 12^th  at 10 a.m. The Rite of Committal and burial will be at Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.

Memorial donations in memory of Birdie may be made to SPJST Senior Living Home in Hillje, (248 Wisteria Ln. El Campo, Tx 77437) or IPH Hospice.

Condolences may be left at www.whartonfuneralhome.com

Services under the direction of Wharton Funeral Home
515 E. Boling Hwy.  Wharton, TX 77488  (979) 532-3410