Martha Palla

Martha Palla, age 95, of Temple passed away on Thursday, October 2, 2019.  Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at Cross Church on Birdcreek in Temple.  Burial will follow at Seaton Cemetery.  Visitation will be held from 5:30-7:30 PM on Friday, October 4, 2019 at Harper-Talasek Funeral Home in Temple.

She was born October 21, 1923 in Airville community, Bell County, Texas to George and Frances Adamek Pavlica.  She attended Lost Prairie School.  At age 18 she went to work for café “Delite”.  She met future husband Eugene Palla at a mattress making event at Sefcik Hall.  Eugene worked at Empire Seed and would come eat breakfast at the café.  They married shortly after in 1943.  They moved to Ft. Worth where both worked at Consolidated Aircract, he was a riveter and she was a driller, where she almost was electrocuted when her drill shorted out. In 1945 he was laid off and she was pregnant with Barbara they moved back to Temple where she was a homemaker until all her children were school age and worked at a local cleaners before retirement.

She was active with the Christian Sisters at her church Temple Brethren now Cross Church on Birdcreek.  She loved quilting, baking, making noodles, working with her flowers, dancing in her younger years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Eugene Palla; three brothers, George Pavlica, Johnnie Pavlica, and Raymond Pavlica; two sisters, Georgia Sodek and Dorothy Jones.

She is survived by her two sons, Eugene Palla, Jr. and wife Katie and Marvin Palla and wife Cindy; one daughter Barbara Poulter and husband Larry; sister, Irene Beran and husband Jamie; two sister-in-laws, Georgia Pavlica and Kathy Pavlica; four grandchildren, Janice Harmon and husband Kevin, Kelly Moon and husband Brad, Ashley Castillo and husband Robbie, and Michelle Galindo; eleven great grandchildren, Weston Harmon and wife Brooke, Dawson Harmon and wife Kirsten, Delaney Moon, Faith Castillo, Hope Castillo, Grace Castillo, Joy Castillo, Daisey Leone, Eugene Palla, Eric Palla, and Shelly Palla; one great great grandchild Maeve Leone; as well as many other family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make donations to Temple Brethren Church, now Cross Church on Birdcreek.