Hilda Doreck

Hilda (Steindorf) Choate Doreck, 94, departed this life peacefully on January 29, 2022. She was born on August 10, 1927, to Edwin Steindorf and Rosie (Strakos) Steindorf in DeWitt County, Texas (near Yorktown), and was the eldest of their seven children.

Hilda was married in 1945 to Henry Levis “Brownie” Choate of Alice, Texas and collaborated with him for many years in his oilfield service companies and cattle ranching. They had three children: Jerry A. Choate of Austin, Texas, Karen Choate Stiltner of Rockport, Texas, and G. Wayne Choate of Corpus Christi, Texas. They were happily married for 35 years, and Brownie enjoyed close family ties with each of Hilda’s six siblings. Following his death in 1980, Hilda married Joe B. Doreck of Ingleside, Texas in 1984, and they lived and worked together operating a ranch near Mineral, Texas. She was a self-taught accountant and took pride in keeping her “bookwork” (on old-fashioned ledgers) always up to date.

A member of the Mineral Baptist Church, Hilda resided at 801 Gramman Assisted Residence in Beeville, Texas since 2011. She enjoyed her Bible studies, exercise classes, playing dominoes and the company of other residents. Everyone appreciated Hilda’s sly sense of humor and sunny disposition.

She cherished the time spent with her extended family to whom she gave her love, strength and devotion. She mourned the losses of her brother, Bert Steindorf, and her sister, Carol Steindorf, and maintained close contact with her surviving siblings: Helen (Jim) Beams, Joyce “Susie” Spaniel, Roy (Kathleen) Steindorf and Larry Steindorf, and with her nieces and nephews. Her first question after greeting a visitor was always “have you heard from any of the family?”

Hilda is survived by her three children, granddaughter Christine (Mike) Choate-Langley of Austin, and grandsons John R. Choate (Austin), David (Jessica) Choate (Austin) and Jeff (Jennifer) Stiltner (Flower Mound).

She was preceded in death by her parents, Edwin and Rosie Steindorf; husband, H.L. Choate; grandson, Richard Stiltner; sons-in-law, Larry Stiltner and Arthur L. Adams; nephews, Bert Steindorf, Jr. and Kirby W. Park; and nieces, Judy Beams Gilbreath, Shirley Beams Keenan and Jaime Steindorf Powell.

Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, February 5, at Galloway & Sons Funeral Home in Beeville. A graveside service will be conducted at 2 o’clock that afternoon at the Mineral Cemetery where she will be laid to rest beside H.L. Choate.

Special thanks to the management and staff of 801 Gramman Assisted Residence for the loving care and nurturing environment that they provided during Hilda’s residency.