Anita Schilling, 98, a longtime resident of Castro County passed away on Sunday, December 12, 2021, in Dimmitt, Texas. Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 3:00 PM at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Nazareth, Texas with Celebrant Bhaskar Adusupalli and Deacons Bob Birkenfeld and Joe Hochstein officiating. Burial to follow at Holy Family Cemetery in Nazareth, Texas. Arrangements and services have been entrusted to Colonial Funeral Home of Dimmitt, Texas. Vigil will be on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at 7:00 PM at the church.

Anita was born October 8, 1923, to Freida and John Bartels, the oldest of five children. She developed a strong work ethic as a child as she had to pick cotton on her Daddy's farm. Being together with her siblings made the hard work seem easy. She married Walter Schilling on October 19, 1944. He was drafted shortly thereafter and so she went through her first pregnancy and childbirth without him. After Walter's discharge they lived in Oceanside California, Hurlwood, Wilson and El Paso before settling on the current farm in Dimmitt in 1952.

Walter and Anita have four sons; Rodger and wife Edna, Danny and Kenneth all from Dimmitt and Randy and wife Monette from Nazareth. One daughter Debbie and husband Bert Navar from El Paso, one sister Bernice Layman of Mangum, OK; nine grandchildren Shari Davis, Kelly Gerber, Kyle Schilling, Brandon Schilling, Gaylon Schilling, Heather McLarty, Eric Schilling, Christine Hernandez and Tim Navar; twenty-five great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Anita was a wonderful cook and gardener of various kinds of vegetables. She was also an avid Mavericks fan. She never forgot a name, never missed a birthday and never failed to love. She was a woman of strong faith and was the happiest when surrounded by family.

Anita joins her husband of 65 years, Walter, a grandson David Navar, a sister Hilda Reissig and two brothers Leonard and Erwin Bartels.

Memorials can be made to the Holy Family Cemetery, PO Box 100, Nazareth, Texas 79063

You may go online and sign the register book at www.colonialfuneralhome.org