Eugene Kotrla

Services for Eugene Harry Kotrla, 79, of Temple, Texas will be held on Friday, March 29, at 2:00 p.m. in Elm Mott, Texas at St. Paul's United Church of Christ, officiated by Rev. Larry Koslovsky and organized by Harper-Talasek Funeral Home.

Rev. Kotrla died on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at home surrounded by family. He was born January 14, 1940 in Temple, Texas. He was a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin and Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He married Elizabeth Pearl Giles on September 1, 1962. He served as pastor in the Unity of the Brethren in Texas in Temple, Houston, Pasadena, Crosby, Seaton, and Ocker. Following this, he served as pastor at First United Church of Christ in West and St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Elm Mott.

Family includes his wife of 56 years, Pearl Kotrla, three daughters, Melissa Kotrla Selden and husband Greg Selden of Austin, Denise Kotrla of Austin, and Tina Kotrla of Houston, and two granddaughters, Ella Selden and Maya Selden. Family also includes sister and brother-in-law Carolyn and Mal Fischer of Temple and brother and sister-in-law Donald and Vicki Kotrla of North Richland Hills. Last but not least, he shared a little chiweenie named Stu with his wife.

Gene was an outdoorsy type of guy and was most comfortable working in his yard, plowing a garden, or planting a tree. He loved building things and was most proud of the cabin he built for his family in his thirties. He worked with countless youth at the various churches where he pastored, playing endless volleyball games, singing camp songs while playing guitar, and leading Bible studies. He spent time as Mission Board Director for the Unity of the Brethren, reaching out to those in need and making mission trips to Honduras and Mexico.

Special thanks goes out to Sherry Johnson from Tender Mercies for her care and compassion. Memorials can be made to www.houstonpetsalive.org and/or www.stpaulsuccgerald.com.