Stella Felchak Berry

Stella Felchak Berry, 95, died June 7, 2026. Born May 1, 1931 in Washington County. Stella then lived most of her life in Houston, Texas, and will be remembered with deep respect and enduring affection by all who knew her.

After moving to Houston, TX with her family, Stella got a job at the Blue Ribbon Packing House to help provide for her family. She walked to the bus stop every day at 5AM on North Main in Houston. Then, she took two bus transfers to get to work on the other side of town. Through the years, Stella worked for several other meat packing plants as that had become her career.

Stella carried herself with a bright, welcoming spirit—always happy and smiling, outgoing, and seemingly never meeting a stranger. Her steady optimism lifted the people around her, and her warmth made others feel at ease in her presence. She also prided herself in being a country girl, born and raised on a farm in Washington County. Being raised on a farm helped Stella become a strong, independent woman, and she was never afraid of hard work. When Stella attended St Mary's School in Brenham, she would work after school at the local Catholic Hospital to assist the nuns with their work.

She took pride in the everyday things that make a home and a life feel well cared for. In her younger years, Stella loved to cook and kept a clean, beautiful house. She even mowed her own yard to keep it looking its best—and now and then, she would mow a neighbor’s yard, too, simply because she couldn’t stand for her own to look anything less than just right. Stella also loved dancing and shopping, and she believed in being truly “dressed to go out,” often saying that if you dress up but don’t put on your heels, you are not dressed up at all. Above all, she loved having people come over, loved being around others, and was, in every sense, a people person.

Stella’s devotion to her family was unwavering. She was fiercely protective of her children and made sure they were cared for and never in need, always putting them first and giving whatever she had to do so. Her love was practical, steadfast, and generous—offered freely and without hesitation.

Stella also had a deep respect for the priests and staff at Assumption Catholic Church. Each year she strived to give a small Christmas gift to each of the priests at the church as well as providing a fruit cake for all to share. Stella also attended the fundraising dinner each year for Assumption School proud to make the donation. All of her efforts were very important to Stella.

Stella was preceded in death by her father, John Felchak Sr; her mother, Teckla Felchak; her brothers, Max Felchak and Charles “Charlie” Felchak; her children, Carol Ann McCullar, Albert Fred Doss, Lois Ann Thielemann, and Donald Ray Doss; and her grandchildren, Mandi Clarkson and Ricky Foerster.

She is survived by her sister, Virginia Felchak Hill; her brother, John “Johnny” Felchak Jr; and her grandchildren, John David McCullar, Patrick McCullar, Anthony McCullar, Max Doss, Melissa Doss, and Stephanie Thielemann.

Pallbearers will be Mike Wischnewsky, Ricky Januszewski, Jeff Wagner, Charles Felchak, Adam Wischnewsky, and Shane Januszewski.

The family would like to thank John Berbel for his friendship and kindness to Stella for nearly 40 years. John was a one-of-a-kind boyfriend to Stella and took care of her in many ways. In their younger years, John was her friend, life and dance partner. In her later years, John was her caretaker as he did all of Stella's grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning of her house. He drove her to church every Sunday when she could no longer drive as well as all of her doctor appointments . He had become a dedicated caretaker to Stella. During her last couple of years as a resident of Ella Springs Memory Center, John visited Stella multiple times every week and brought her favorites like Dr. Pepper, candies, and cookies. There are not enough thanks to show our appreciation for John.