Another Medina County pioneer was laid to rest at Castroville on Monday, March 10 at 9:30 A.M. Sybilla Katherine Weiss was born on the Francisco creek March 16, 1869, the oldest daughter of the late Andreas and Frances Bendele, third oldest child in the family of fourteen.
She grew to young womanhood there and in 1891 was married at Castroville to Joseph Weiss, who preceded her in death on May 22, 1933. Nine children were born to this union, eight of whom survive their mother. They are Emil P. Weiss of Victorville, California; Thomas H. Weiss of Devine; twin sons, Leo A. and Anton P. Weiss, both of San Antonio; Mrs. Frances Britsch of Hondo; Mrs. Mary Schneider of Castroville; Mrs. Elizabeth King and Mrs. Laura Bendele of Devine.
The greatest sorrow of her life was the loss of her oldest son, Joseph William Weiss, in the First World War. He was one of the first Medina County boys to volunteer in that conflict and fell in the battle of the Meuse-Argonne only a few days before the Armistice.
Of her many brothers and sisters, only five sisters remain, Mrs. Frances Keller and Mrs. Ida Haass of Hondo, Mrs. Annie Wilkinson of Devine, Mrs. Mary Martin of Temple, and Mrs. Rosa Houser of Gassville, Arkansas. She is survived also by fifteen grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and many other relatives.
In her long, useful life Mrs. Weiss had been ill very seldom until the past two months. An infected hand at Christmas weakened her and she continued to fail until she passed away quietly in her sleep early in the morning of March 8, comforted and fortified by the last rites of her church.
Rosary was recited at the Tondre Funeral Home Sunday evening, and the Very Reverend Dean J. Lenzen conducted the Requiem Mass in St. Louis Church Monday morning. Interment was in the St. Louis cemetery beside her late husband with nephews as pallbearers. They were Willie Weber, Frank Rihn, Clarence Haass, Raymond Bendele, Ervin Bendele and Westbrook Wilkinson. Mrs. Weiss leaves her memorial in the hearts of all who knew her. Her life was spent in service to others with a helping hand and a sympathetic heart open to her family, her neighbors, and her friends. To her children she has left a rich heritage of patience, devotion, industry, courage and greatest of all, her faith in God. [From the James & Doris Menke Collection, Medina County, TX Family Files on file at the San Antonio Public Library )

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