Willie Mae Motl

Willie Mae Janis Motl, 91, of Brenham was called to her Lord on March 31, 2025.

Willie Mae was born on August 4, 1933, in East Bernard, Texas, to Joseph and Julie Pustejovsky Janis. After graduating from Crescent High School in Pierce, Texas, Willie Mae worked as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in Wharton. She married Gilbert Motl in 1954 in El Campo, Texas, and they began their almost 70 years together, raising their children, vacationing in Colorado, exploring painted churches, state parks, and historical markers, enjoying their grandchildren and great grandchildren, dancing polkas and always, always holding hands. Willie Mae spent many hours on her sewing machine, whipping up clothes for her family and, of course, Barbie dolls! She loved to read, crochet, knit, cross stitch, do plastic canvas projects, crosswords, word find puzzles, jigsaw puzzles and watching The Wheel of Fortune and her beloved soap operas. She could bake the best molasses cookies and apple strudels, and beautifully decorated every birthday cake she made. But above all, she was a kind and nurturing wife, mother and grandmother who loved her family with a passion and always made sure they knew it.

In addition to her parents, Willie Mae is preceded in death by her husband Gilbert and brothers Jerry, August, Vencil, Alex, and John.

Left to cherish her memory are her children Gregory (Linda), Yvonne (Joe), Alan (+Louann), Lloyd (Ronda), and Paul (Tonya); grandchildren Lisa (Michael), Bethany (Geoff), Christine (Sam), Michelle (Dale), Kimberly (Jake), Michael (Natalie), Amalie, Mary, Matthew, Dustin, James (Hailey), Valerie, Drew and Justin (Savannah); great grandchildren Ava, Abby, Ainslee, Lucas, Jonah, Finley, Caleb, Benjamin, Rachel, Nadiya, Kairyn, Jaxyn, and Raelyn; brother Joe “Jody”, numerous nieces and nephews, and other special family members Cindy Motl and Judy Spain.

A visitation for Willie Mae will be held Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 1:00pm at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Brenham. A rosary will be recited beginning at 1:30pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 2:00pm with Father Edwin Kagoo officiating. Interment will follow at Calvary Catholic Cemetery.

Honored to serve as pallbearers are her grandsons Michael Motl, Matthew Motl, Dustin Motl, James Motl, Drew Motl, and her nephews Patrick Janis, Steven Janis, Michael Janis and Danny Vitek.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to the staff of Peach Creek Assisted Living Center in College Station and Bluebonnet Hospice for the compassionate care that was shown to Willie Mae and her family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 701 Church St, Brenham TX 77833.

Services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.brenhammemorialchapel.com