Annie Mary Pilat Migl

Texas Czech, Annie Mary Migl, known for her Sunday chicken dinners and unconditional love for her friends and family went to her permanent residence with the Lord on July 5th, 2015. She was born on June 15th, 1915 in Praha, Texas to Chas Pilat and Anna Klekar and raised along with her four other siblings Charles, Frank, Della and Leona in the surrounding farmlands. Together with their Mom and Dad they picked cotton and made the best of life in some of the hardest of times. One of the biggest treats for all of them was getting an ice cream cone after the end of a hard cotton-pickin’ day. Annie continued to enjoy her ice cream cones until her dying day.

After Annie married Frank Migl, they went on to have four children: Eunice, Donald (Donnie), Kathy and Mitchell (Mitch). Frank worked at the Piggly Wiggly for many years until WWII. They later moved to the Houston area in Galena Park where Frank went to work at the Ship Channel at Todd Shipyard. After her husband Frank died, Annie went to work at Galena Park Elementary School Cafeteria and served up some of the best cafeteria food with a huge dollop of love in every bite.

Annie’s food brought love to more than just the school. She made “fried chicken dinner” every Sunday without fail for all of her children and grandchildren. She put her heart and soul into preparing some of the most delicious chicken noodle soup, mash potatoes, rice, pea salad, cucumbers and fried chicken you have ever tasted. Typically there were homemade apple pie or sweet rolls for desert. There was always enough for any friends and family that might drop in even though her income was meager and her table small. The size of the table kept the family “close” in more ways than one.

The Catholic Prayer was never missed prior to digging into a meal. God was #1 in and out of the kitchen, and Annie rarely missed mass. She and her husband Frank help found and build Our Lady of Fatima in Galena Park, and she was about as dedicated a Catholic as you will ever find. Annie continued going to mass until the last few weeks of her life when mobility became so poor it left her physically unable to attend, but she remained ever dedicated to the Lord and continued serving Him at home until the very end.

In life, Annie kept us all straight with a firm, yet gentle demeanor. Though she never raised her voice, you knew if you weren’t doing right with Grandma. She was committed to taking care of her children and her children’s children and wanted everyone to know how to love each other. She stayed spiritually fit by attending mass every day and stayed physically fit by walking 3 to 4 miles every day up until she was 90.

Some people never get a glimpse on earth of God’s love, but when you had a Mom or Grandma like Annie Pilat Migl you got a glimpse of it every time you were with her. She was a rock. She made the world a better place for everyone around her, and we will never forget her special love and care.