Anne Stakemiller

Anne Rudersdorf Stakemiller, lifelong resident of Houston and Sugarland, passed away in Weimar on Tuesday August 24, 2021 at the age of 89. She was preceded in death by her oldest son Leo Herbert Stakemiller III. She leaves behind her daughter Susan Kaspar and husband David of LaGrange and son Stephen Stakemiller and wife Julie Otermat of Houston. Grandchildren are Katrina Serrano (husband Zack), Jarrod Stakemiller, Dean Kaspar (wife Courtney) and Dayna Kaspar. Great grandchildren are Haley and Emily Kaspar. She is survived by brother Bill Rudersdorf of Houston.

Anne was born on January 11, 1932 in Houston to William and Florence Rudersdorf. She attended San Jacinto High School, graduating in 1950. She desired to see more of Texas and spent the next two years at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and left to get married in the Spring of 1953. Three children and a divorce brought her back to the University of Houston, where she graduated with a degree in Education in 1966. Anne was born to teach and that she did for many years at Windsor Village, Rhoades and Elrod Elementaries in H.I.S.D. In the 80’s she moved from her home in Westbury to Sugar Land and taught the remainder of her years at Dulles Elementary in Fort Bend I.S.D. She mostly taught 4th and 5th grades and had a no-nonsense look that could freeze potential trouble-makers in their tracks. It worked well on her children also, at least some of us.

Mom was an exceptional friend and parent. I say parent because she shouldered all the responsibilities of a mother and father. We never lacked for anything that we needed. Early in our lives, we made regular trips to Galveston where we learned to enjoy the beach and fishing, not necessarily in that order. My mother and brother were the two best fishers that I’ve ever been around. My siblings and I always enjoyed well-meaning men who thought to help teach our Mom about fishing. A glance at the fish stringer indicated that no assistance was required. In later years Mom acquired a second-hand pop-up camper and that led to frequent adventures down by Rockport at Goose Island State Park, our home away from home. My sister and I learned to catch, clean and pick crab and fresh-caught seafood was always on the menu.

With her house emptying, Mom caught the travel bug and took wonderful trips to Mexico, Great Britain and even an Alaskan cruise. Everywhere she went she made wonderful lifetime friends. When grandchildren came along, Grandma’s house became the place to be for visits and holidays. Hers was always a welcoming home and she enjoyed decorating for the holidays and picking out special fun gifts. She put particular care in selecting just the right ornament each year, tailored to our specific personalities.

When house upkeep became too much, Mom moved to the senior community at the Terrace in Sugar Land where she spent many happy years. After several years of being my brother’s principal caregiver during cancer, Mom handed over her car keys, mostly willingly, and moved to Jefferson Place in LaGrange. It was the right place at the right time and served her needs well until memory issues became a concern. She moved to a specialty facility in Weimar a year ago and settled in. October saw her contract COVID long before the vaccine was available. She was fatigued but mostly bummed that she was quarantined with half a dozen others and couldn’t go about her daily routine. Year 2021 was a year of mostly window visits and the lack of personal contact hit Mom harder than anything. For someone hard of hearing, it was difficult to read lips and facial expressions with everyone behind a mask. Towards the end, Mom seemed to have decided that life just wasn’t fun anymore and that Heaven provided better unlimited fishing opportunities with her oldest son. She passed peacefully on the afternoon of August 24th.

The family respectfully requests no flowers. Anyone wishing to make a charitable donation may send it to Hospice Brazos Valley at 1048 N. Jefferson, LaGrange TX 78945 or the charity of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.forestparkwestheimer.com for the Stakemiller family.