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~Otto Koliba Jr.~
SHINER: Otto Robert Koliba Jr., 69, passed away Thursday, August 21, 2025. He was born December 10, 1955 in Yoakum, the only son born to Otto Robert Koliba Sr. and Marie (Malinovsky) Koliba. Otto grew up on the Koliba family homestead where he loved hunting and fishing with his dad. The family grew various crops including corn, milo and cotton. Otto learned the importance of hard work by working alongside his parents in the fields. He was an altar boy at St. Ann Catholic Church and attended St. Joe’s Catholic School through the 8th grade. When he was a teenager his parents purchased the Koliba Grocery store in Petersville where he helped to run the store. He attended Yoakum High School until the early death of his father, when he began work to help support the family. He started working drilling water wells for Friedel Drilling and then moved on to work in the oil field. He worked on offshore drilling rigs before coming back to land where he continued to work for Welltec, Schaefer Well Service and Shell. He was a heavy equipment operator and enjoyed mowing, shredding, and clearing the land. He married his beloved Barbara Berckenhoff and for the next 42 years they worked to make all their dreams come true. He worked as an electrician at Kaspar Wireworks and at K. Spoetzl Brewery. He was a kind, gentle soul that never met a stranger and he loved to make others laugh. He worked for DeWitt County building roads until his retirement. Any chance he had you could find him fishing at his place at Rivercrest on the Guadalupe River where he caught an 81 lb. fish. He loved his hunting trips to Colorado and beach trips with his family. He enjoyed raising his cattle, riding his mule, and being with family cooking stews and barbeque. His heart joy was his grandson, Rylan Brown. His presence will be deeply missed. Survivors are his wife, Barbara Koliba of Shiner; daughter, Sara Brown and husband Dustin of Dripping Springs; son Otto Koliba II and wife Caitlin of Hope; one grandson, Rylan Brown; three sisters, Bonnie Moeller (John) of Shiner, Willa Mae Zimmerman (Harry) of Cuero and Lana Fellers (Clint) of Cuero; mother and father-in-law, Annie Mae and Robert Berckenhoff of Moulton; numerous extended family and friends. Preceded in death by his parents, Otto and Marie Koliba; sister, Eva Jo Aschen; Paternal grandparents, George and Anna Koliba and maternal grandparents, Paul and Beatrice Malinovsky and nephew Trent Roznovsky. Pallbearers: Mike Chilek, Mark Drozd, R. Greyson Aschen, Russell Molinovsky, Dillion Berckenhoff, Dennis Rodriguez and Ronald Berckenhoff Honorary Pallbearers: Robert Lee Berckenhoff, Ronnie Roznovsky, Phillip Gardovsky, Johnny Moeller. Visitation 4:30 p.m., with Rosary recited at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home. Funeral Mass 10 a.m., Thursday, August 28, 2025 at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church with Rev. Jacob Mendoza officiating. Burial to be held at St. Ann Catholic Cemetery in Petersville. Memorials may be given to St. Ann Catholic Church or Sts. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church. Arrangements by Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home,361-293-5656.
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