Wilma "Sweetie" Willberg

Wilma “Sweetie” Willberg, age 91, died at her ranch home Sunday morning,

August 25, 2019 surrounded by her family.

Rosary will be recited on Tuesday, August 27, at 7:00 pm at St Joseph Catholic

Church in Rowena.  Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 am on

Wednesday, August 28, at St. Joseph with Fr. Ariel Lagunilla celebrating.  Burial

will follow in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Rowena.  Arrangements are with

Lange Funeral Home of Ballinger.

Wilma Anna Brosig was born December 31, 1927 to Emmett and Flora

Sonnenberg Brosig at the family ranch west of Paint Rock, Texas.

The second of four children, she attended school at Lowake and Paint Rock before

graduating from San Angelo High School in 1945. Wilma married Ben Willberg

on April 9, 1947 after he returned from military service during World War II. The

couple celebrated 60 years of marriage before his passing in September, 2007.

Life-long ranchers, farmers and stewards of the land, the couple first resided in the

Lowake and Miles area. In 1975, they built their home on the Brosig family ranch

originally purchased from the German Immigration land program. Here they raised

sheep, cattle, cotton and grains. Even in her final weeks, she loved to watch a flock

of ewes and baby lambs as they grazed near her home. She and her husband

instilled in their growing family a love of God and the land with which they were

entrusted.

Sweetie was a devoted member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Catholic Daughters,

St. Anne’s Altar Society, VFW Auxiliary, the Lowake Home Demonstration Club

and served as a rural precinct election judge and a 4-H leader. Avid dancers, she

and Ben were founding volunteer members for West Texas Rehab Center’s Silver

Spur Ball which raised thousands of dollars for patient care. St. Joseph’s Fall

Festival also benefited from her baked goods, detailed handiwork and quilts –

skills she learned from her grandmother Nellie Brosig.

During lean years, she worked at the Lowake Gin and was a rural census

enumerator. The consummate homemaker, Sweetie loved cooking and sewing

while helping raise their family. In her later life, she was rarely without a needle,

thread and thimble in her hand. Her children, grandchildren and great-

grandchildren all have been blessed to receive keepsake quilts which she lovingly

hand-pieced and stitched.

Other favorite past-times included competitive games of dominoes and “88” with

her Rowena and Wall friends as well as having some of her family gathered around

the kitchen bar working on the latest multi-piece puzzle.

She was predeceased by her parents, older sister, Clara Nell Waters and numerous

members of her husband’s family.

Survivors include a son Ralph Willberg and wife Donna of Paint Rock, a daughter,

Jennifer Hoelscher and husband Steven of San Angelo; six granddaughters, Kim

Halfmann and husband Russell and Kristy Fuchs and husband Allan, both of

Garden City; Stephanie Wilson and husband Cody of Midkiff; Jamie Glass and

husband Shawn of Lowake; Jill Krenek and husband Dustin of Robinson, and

Kelsey Yeaman and husband Jess of Uvalde; 14 great-grandchildren; two brothers,

E.H. Brosig and wife Cecilia and Joe Carver Brosig II, all of Paint Rock, three

sisters-in-law, Margaret Strube of Rowena, Rita Prosperie of Tyler, and Flora Willberg

of San Angelo, and a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends.

Pallbearers will be her granddaughters.

The family wishes to thank West Texas Rehab Center’s Hospice of San Angelo’s

care team and special caregivers Elisa Martinez, Mariza Ojeda, Anna Torres,

Cathy Dickison, Mary Urteaga and Rosa Soto.

Memorials may be made to West Texas Rehab, WTRC Hospice of San Angelo or

St. Joseph’s Cemetery fund.