Bertha “MeeMaw” Gardina Rozacky Sefcak, 103, passed away Feb. 13, 2023. She was born Dec. 21, 1919, in the community of Friendship, and resided in Taylor, most of her life.
Bertha took pride in being a tidy homemaker, delicious cook, creative seamstress, book reader, volunteer, loving wife, mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, daughter, sister and aunt. She was affectionately called MeeMaw by her grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, friends, and Aunt Bertie by her nieces and nephews.
When her girls were little, Bertha was a Brownie troop leader and homeroom mother. She cared for children in her home and then many babies at Over the Rainbow Daycare. When her great grandbabies started arriving, she loved rocking them and making them feel comfy, cozy and loved, too.
Bertha and Roland had a thriving apple doll business, where she used her seamstress skills to make the small clothing for the apple doll characters, while Roland carved the apples and brought them to life with their unique features.
Bertha’s kitchen was always open to her girls and their friends, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren through the years, with different phases coming in and out, depending on their jobs and school activities.
Their favorites were her fried chicken, mashed potatoes, fried okra, zasmâska with dilly bread, scrambled eggs and frying pan toast, poppy seed roll, coffee cake, Lebkuchen, baklava and her holiday dressing made with her homemade bread.
After Roland passed, she kept herself busy by volunteering at the S.P.J.S.T. Nursing Home and St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, where she made lots of new friends and could visit with her old ones.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Roland Sefcak; daughter and son-inlaw, Nancy (Sefcak) and Donald Kunze; son, Kenneth Sefcak; parents, Henry and Rosie (Machu) Rozacky; brothers, John Rozacky and his wife Maureen, Henry Rozacky and Clifton Rozacky; sister, Loretta Buzan and her husband Moses; and brother-in-law Roman Stasny.
Bertha is survived by her daughter, Dixie Sefcak Rhoades and husband Bill. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Stephanie Kunze Patschke and husband Chad, Joshua Kunze and wife Hannah, Grady Kunze and wife Kimberly, Sarah Kunze Drury and husband Craig, Clayton Rhoades and Jana Crawford Rhoades, and Tessa Rhoades Streit and husband Darren. She was blessed to have 16 great-grandchildren, Jacob Townsend, Catherine Townsend, Trevor Patschke, Tanner Patschke, Payton Patschke, Annika Kunze, Henry Kunze, Alexandra Kunze, Jaxon Kunze, Camryn Drury, Harper Drury, Elizabeth Rhoades, Tolliver Rhoades, Tinsley Streit, Isadora Streit and Gunneridge Streit. She is also survived by her brother, Laurence Rozacky and wife Dorothy; sister, Claudette Rozacky Stasny; and sisters-inlaw, Dorothy Rozacky and Louise Rozacky.
A visitation for Bertha will be held Sunday, Feb. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Condra Funeral Home with a rosary at 6 p.m. A funeral Mass will occur Monday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Taylor. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Taylor.
Pallbearers include Joshua Kunze, Grady Kunze, Clayton Rhoades, Chad Patschke, Craig Drury, Darren Streit, Jacob Townsend, and Jaxon Kunze. Honorary pallbearers are Gunner Streit and Henry Kunze.
Memorials in Bertha’s name can be made to St.
Mary’s School at 520 Washburn Street, Taylor, Texas, 76574, THS Ex-Student Association at 2107 Jason Drive, Taylor, Texas, 76574 or the Machu Cemetery at 909 T.H. Johnson Drive, Taylor, Texas, 76574.
