Dorothy Christa Muras

Dorothy Christa Muras of Shiner passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at the age of 96.

The family will receive friends for visitation on Monday, Aug. 21, from 1-5 p.m. at the Buffington Funeral Home in Shiner, Texas. The rosary will be recited on Tuesday, Aug. 22at 6:30 p.m. Dorothy’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. at Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church in Shiner followed by a burial in the Shiner Catholic Cemetery.

Pallbearers for Ms. Muras will be; David Burger, Kenneth Kvinta, Hank Novak, Dr. Ralph Wagner, Garland Weber and Joe Wolken. Honorary pall bearers are her nephews Thomas J. (Tod) O’Donnell and Mark S. O’Donnell.

Dorothy (Dotty) graduated from Saint Ludmila’s Academy in Shiner. She attended Incarnate Word College in San Antonio. She majored in business at Massey Business School in Houston. She was employed for many years as an accountant at T. E. Failing Exploration and Drilling Company. She resigned from this position and moved back to Shiner to assist her father, Joseph and her brother J.J. Upon her father’s death in 1973, Dotty became J.J.’s devoted caretaker and also managed the Muras Apartment House in Shiner.

She was a faithful Catholic, experiencing close friendships with priests, pastors and sisters of Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church and Convent in Shiner. Dorothy was most generous to the church throughout her lifetime donating beautiful vestments, a jeweled chalice and a stained glass window dedicated to her dear brother J.J. Dorothy was also instrumental in establishing a chapel for perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Following a visit to Saint Joseph’s Shrine in Lowell, MA, Dorothy admired the votive candle lights display, and initiated this change in her own beloved parish. Dotty was a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas for many years.

Dotty was an active, engaged and fun loving person. As a teenager, she represented Shiner on floats in the Yoakum Tom-Tom Parade. She enjoyed entertaining her friends, the Nuns and staff while a student at Incarnate Word College. She loved dancing to the jazz music of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. She played the violin and piano. Dorothy loved sketching original clothing designs for her sisters and herself and having her fashions sewn by local seamstresses. She was a talented photographer, capturing news and photos for the Shiner Gazette. She enjoyed working in the Catholic Thrift Shop and was actively involved in the yearly Catholic Church Picnic.

Dotty was born in Shiner, Texas, Dec. 17, 1920, the eldest daughter of the late Joseph and Philomena (Palitza) Muras, and sister of the late J.J. Muras and Rosalie Kowalski, sister in law of the late Thomas J. O’Donnell and A.J. Kowalski, and niece in-law Virginia M. O’Donnell. Dotty is survived by her sister, Ann M. O’Donnell of Lowell, MA, her nephews Thomas J. O’Donnell, Jr. and his wife Gail of Tewksbury MA, Mark S. O’Donnell of Lowell, and her nieces Deborah A. McLaughlin and her husband Tommy of Andover, MA; Pam Barry and her husband Kevin of Andover, MA; along with many great and great, great nieces and nephews. Miss Dorothy also leaves her great friend, companion and caretaker Barbara Chumchal.