Funeral services for Lovie Laverne Stepan Gillmeister, 93, will be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Temple, Texas, on Saturday, March 1, at 10:00 am. Interment will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery at 12:30 pm. Visitation will be held at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Temple on Friday, February 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Born on October 30, 1931, on a farm in east Bell County Texas to Joe A. Stepan and Rosie Martinec Stepan, Mrs. Gillmeister died February 17 at a local hospital.
She was the youngest of five children and spent her childhood years playing and working on the family farm. She attended North Elm School and graduated from Rosebud High School in 1949. In March of 1950, she moved to Temple and worked briefly at Stewart’s Children Shop. She then worked as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell until 1955. She met Emil Gillmeister in 1950, and they were married on October 30, 1953. After the birth of her children, she was primarily a homemaker but often helped in the office at the family business, Gillmeister Roofing Company.
Survivors include her daughter Sherry Hollinger and her husband Bob, of Killeen; son Mark Gillmeister and his wife Donna, of Gatesville; daughter Patti Moquin and her husband Rene, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Jenny Gordon of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Jeremy Gorden of Dallas; Amanda McCoy of Sachse; Kyle Gillmeister of Lampasas; Tyler Moquin-Lee of Cincinnati, Ohio; Emily Moquin and Jordan Moquin, both of Chicago, Illinois; and seven great-grandchildren, Lenore Phy, Benjamin Gorden, Sean Gorden, Olivia McCoy, Clara Gorden, Riley McCoy, and Cord Gillmeister; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, sisters Vallie Wychopen Tupy, Juanita Cabla, and Josephine Hess Light, and one brother, Joe Stepan.
Lovie was a woman of faith and her kind, loving, generous spirit reflected her love for the Lord. She was baptized and confirmed at Oker Brethren Church in east Bell County, and was a long-time member of First Lutheran Church in Temple where she taught Sunday School and VBS for many years. In 1992, she became a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church where she worked on pictorial directories and helped with VBS.
Lovie enjoyed visiting with her family and cooking for them. She loved animals and had many cats as pets throughout her lifetime. She also enjoyed working outside in the yard and garden and could still dance the polka on her 90th birthday.
The family would like to thank Nicky Kolar, her helper the last two years, for her loving assistance.
Memorials may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Ministries, APAC (Association for Pet Adoption Center), or one of your choice.
Serving as pallbearers are Jeremy Gorden, Kyle Gillmeister, Tyler Moquin - Lee, Jordan Moquin, Benjamin Gorden, Nick McCoy, Bobby Wychopen, James Hess and Sean Gorden.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Lovie's memory may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Ministries, 2109 W. Avenue H, Temple, Texas US; and Association for Pet Adoption Center, 3809 S. General Bruce Drive, Suite #103-8251, Temple, Texas US or to a charity of your choice.
