Nelda Ondrey

Our loving Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, and Great-Great Grandmother, Nelda "Nellie" Martha Ondrey, went to her eternal home with our Lord on August 6, 2025, at the age of 90. She departed this life at Providence Hospital in Waco, Texas, with her loving and devoted daughter by her side.

Nellie was born March 1, 1935, in Malone, Texas to parents Edward Christopher and Elsie Marie (Kaddatz) Krueger. During her childhood years, she attended the Lutheran School in Malone and later Bynum High School. Her father passed while she was young, leading to her working and helping her mother from a young age to survive. She worked the farm, planted and picked cotton by hand, laundered clothing for locals, and ran countless errands around Malone during her childhood years, all while helping her mother raise her younger brother.

After high school, she married the love of her life, Bennie Ondrey, in 1951. Of this union, one daughter, Deborah Kay, was born. Nellie and Bennie were married for 35 years until his passing in 1987.

Nellie had a work ethic like no other. She and Bennie owned and operated the family service station and Ben's Place in Malone in the 1960s, all while working the farm. She later worked for Kreditor's Manufacturing in Hubbard, Texas for a number of years in the 1970s and 1980s as a manufacturing supervisor. After the location closed, she joined Penelope ISD where she was employed from 1987 to her retirement in 2024. Nellie loved working with children, and they brought great joy to her life on a daily basis. For anyone that was educated in the Penelope ISD school system during her time there, you should know that she cared a great deal for each of you.

A loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother, she was endlessly devoted to her entire family. She believed in the word family to its very core and would do anything and everything in her power to ensure her family was always taken care of. She believed in the Lord, was a Christian by faith, a shining light to those that knew her, and a woman that never met a stranger.

Nellie was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, August and Lissette Kaddatz; paternal grandparents, Ernest and Tillie Krueger; parents, Edward Christoph and Elsie Marie Krueger; her husband, Bennie Ondrey; brothers, Raymond Krueger and Milton Krueger; sisters, Viola Zettler and Ruby Zettler; her beloved mother and father-in-law, August and Anna (Mynar) Ondrej; grandson Lieutenant Jason Thomas Westmoreland I; great-grandsons Jason Thomas Westmoreland II and Xander Christopher Westmoreland; multiple brothers and sisters-in-law, and a very large number of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Nellie is survived by her beloved daughter, Deborah Kay Westmoreland of Malone; three grandchildren, Tina Marie Bow, David C. Westmoreland, and wife Maria, and Timothy G. Westmoreland, Sr., and wife Brittney; twenty great-grandchildren, and fifteen great-great grandchildren; loving sisters-in-law, Evelyn Pappas of Mal. and Mary Ann Jones of Garland; brother-in-law George Ondrej, and wife Patti of The Woodlands; and her longtime great friend and bonus sister, Gloria Walton of Penelope.

Pallbearers are Nellie's great-grandsons, Kyle Bow, Sean Bow, Matthew Bow, Timothy Westmoreland, Jr., Darian Westmoreland, and her nephew, John Ondrej, Jr.

Honorary Pallbearers are Nellie's great-grandson Daylon Westmoreland and great-great grandsons Oliver Westmoreland, Noah Bow, and Anakin Bow.

Nellie's family would like to thank the countless number of friends and family for visiting her through the years and being a part of her long and beautiful life.