Melrose Real Goetz was born in San Antonio, Texas on March 27, 1930 and passed away in Victoria, Texas on March 30, age 93. She was the only child of Alvin Joe and Elsie Stahl Real and grew up in San Antonio surrounded by many relatives. She graduated from Brackenridge High School, where she was President of the Purple Jackets drill team and met her future husband. In her early teens, she also played the accordion in The Three Sisters group, which entertained on the radio and at local military bases.
In 1949 Melrose married Edward Lamar Goetz. In 1953, they moved to Victoria for Ed’s new job. Melrose enjoyed being a homemaker and raising their three children but eventually went to work outside the home for the Victoria Independent School District. She worked in the office at Crain for four years and then at Stroman High School for twenty years. She retired from her position as office manager and secretary to the principal in 1989, three years after Ed retired from a 32 year career at Union Carbide.
She lived a life of service to family, friends, church, and community. As a cofounder of the Victoria Garden Club and a one-time president of the Victoria Civic Association, she was always very active with gardening in general and beautification projects at DeLeon Plaza and Riverside Park. She was an active member since the early 1950s at First English Lutheran Church and also very involved with her husband as original members of the Victoria Antique Automobile Club. She was a master organizer of family reunions and greatly helped many neighbors and friends over the years. Her project and prayer lists were always full. She loved and supported her family beyond measure.
Melrose was very outgoing, optimistic, and resilient. She never met a stranger and rarely had anything negative to say about anyone. During her camper and motor home traveling with Ed to car swap meets and other places in the United States, she was able to pursue her genealogy research while “antiquing” and visiting with friends and family. She enjoyed her church circle, car and garden club activities, sewing and crafting, Spurs team following, HealthPlex exercising, and Bunco game gatherings until relatively recently. Beginning with her parents’ backyard pecan tree, pecan growing, harvesting, and shelling were common threads enjoyed by the entire family. She had some bumper crops and was still gathering pecans and making sugared pecans for others until the past year.
Most everyone and everything were “wonderful” in her eyes, but she had a special love for children and pets. She always enjoyed watching and engaging with children. During her later years, she shared company with Menna, a young girl who lived across the street from her home. Melrose referred to Menna as her adopted granddaughter. Whenever Melrose visited daughter Linda, she insisted on visiting and talking with her pet birds. At her own home, she loved feeding and watching the birds that visited her outdoor feeders. Of course, she loved all of her pets, especially cats, that she had during her lifetime.
Melrose is survived by her daughter Linda Barrett (Jozef Lewandowski), sons Gregory and Kenneth (Renee); grandchildren, Kyle Goetz (Jessica), Craig Goetz, Tara Goetz Baros (Taylor), David Goetz (Lindsey), Andrew Goetz, Daniel Goetz; step grandchildren, Amy and Brian Hagedorn; thirteen great-grandchildren, six nieces and nephews, and her favorite cats Miss Blue and Mr. Orange. She was preceded in death by her husband (April 2017) and parents.
Visitation will be at First English Lutheran Church on April 12 at 9 am, followed by the church funeral service at 10 am and then burial at Memory Gardens Cemetery. Friends and family are invited to meet afterwards at the church to share a light meal and fellowship. Serving as pallbearers are Jozef Lewandowski, Mark Kolodzie, Kyle Goetz, Craig Goetz, David Goetz and Taylor Baros.
The family thanks Dianne and Jimmy Harrison of Dover House for their care of Melrose for the last six months of her life.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to First English Lutheran Church, Adopt a Pet, Hospice of South Texas, or donor’s choice.
For additional information or to share a fond memory or words of comfort visit www.rosewoodfuneralchapel.com.
