Shetler, Lillian Congreve
Our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother Lillian Alice Shetler went to be with her Lord and was reunited with her husband Bob on January 6th, 2024 at age 91.
Born in Chicago, IL on March 19, 1932 to Robert and Lillian Congreve, she and her brother Bob grew up surrounded by family, cousins and dear neighbors. Lill loved family summers spent at Cedar Lake, IN with her brother and cousins playing in the lake and making memories to last a lifetime.
In 1953,she married the love of her life, Robert Alfred Shetler. They couldn’t wait to start their family and 9 months and 7 days later they welcomed David Stanley Shetler, followed by Linda Marie Shetler (Petticrew) and Katherine Ann Shetler (Pfohl).
After several relocations, they settled in Houston, Texas where she dedicated herself to raising her family. Lillian was an amazing, creative person, who had many outlets for her talents. She was a talented and skilled seamstress, quilter, artist and painter, but her greatest passion was needlepoint. She taught needlepoint for decades at the Lazy Daisy and won national awards for her unique pieces.
Lill and Bob lived in Nottingham Forest for almost 50 years. They enjoyed their wonderful neighbors through church (MDUMC), tennis at the club, gourmet club, bridge groups, Bridgebuilders and many more. In her later years, she became a card shark and bingo queen.
Lill was not outspoken about her faith, but her actions spoke louder than her words ever could. She showed her love for Jesus by being an active member in her Church, loving and serving those around her, serving meals to sick neighbors in her community for decades.
She loved and taught her children well. She was a Girl Scout leader for Linda, teaching and mentoring her troop. She allowed Dave to keep a menagerie of animals, reptiles, and even a pet crow named Joe! She taught Kathy to cook, swim and sew. She always showed love to her many grandchildren by cooking cheesy eggs, roller-skating in the house (to Bob’s displeasure!), baking Christmas cookies, splashing around in the hot tub and taking each grandchild on a special trip to her former Chicago home. She especially excelled at being a loving wife to our father for 64 years.
Lillian will always be remembered for her remarkable memory and sharing stories from her past, her delicious cooking, her spunky sense of humor, and her love of sports, especially baseball where she’d religiously follow the Cubs and later the Astros.
She now joins her beloved husband, Robert A. Shetler, her parents Robert and Lillian Congreve,her brother Robert Congreve& his wife/ her best friend Margaret, and her niece Laura Congreve.
Survived by a legacy of love and cherished memories, Lillians’s spirit lives on through the bonds she created with her family. She is survived her son David Shetler & his wife Debi, daughter Linda Petticrew & husband Paul, daughter Katherine Pfohl & husband Chris, grandchildren, Ryan Shetler & wife Kimberly, Jordan Pfohl, Garrett Petticrew, Michael Pfohl & partner Amanda, Rachel Evans & husband Carson, Natalie Anicito & husband Mike and great grandchildren, Abrielle, Aurora, Rowan and Oliver and niece Sandy Congreve & partner Steve, nephew Tom Congreve & wife Kathy, and nephew Dan Congreve and great nephews Matthew and Justin.
The family would like to thank Bayou Vista Houston and Commonwealth Senior Living Virginia for their love and care for our precious Mother. A special thank you to Barbie, Stephanie and Gabby for showering Lill with the joy and love of Jesus this past year. They all loved her like family and she loved them too.
A service will be held in Houston at a later time.
In lieu of flowers, donations would be greatly appreciated to MDUMC.
