Erna Elizabeth Pritchett

Erna “Nita” Elizabeth Bartels Pritchett was called home to be with her Lord and Savior on June 11, 2017 at the age of 93. She was born in Holland, TX, on February 24, 1924 to Karl R. and Erna Romberg Bartels.The Bartels later moved to Taft, Texas, where Nita worked alongside her family on their cotton farm. She graduated from Taft High School in 1941 as an honor student. She then attended Texas Lutheran College and University of Texas, majoring in Elementary Education. She was initiated into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society in 1942. She earned her Master's Degree from Lamar University, Beaumont, in 1973 and received numerous continuing education certificates: an Elementary Teachers Certificate in 1969, a Kindergarten Certificate in 1970, a Language and Learning Disabilities Certificate in 1977, an Early Childhood Education/Handicapped Child Certificate in 1977, an Educational Diagnostician Certificate in 1977, and a Mentally Challenged Certificate in 1979.Nita met her husband, Ted Pritchett, in Kerrville where they married in 1946. Later they moved to Bellaire, Texas, where they made their home and raised their six daughters. Later, she became a substitute teacher and then a full-time kindergarten teacher at Blackshear Elementary in Houston. She retired in 1994 at the age of 70 after 24 years of service. At times she had more than 31 students. She was sure to give each one a special hug and kind word every day!Nita loved Jesus and had a special way of sharing that love through her smiles, her hugs, and her compassion. She was a cheerful giver, selflessly sharing her time, money, cookies, a helping hand and stories of Jesus to whomever was in need. She was best known for her lifelong devotion to her church and was sure to be there with her girls whenever the doors were opened. She taught countless children throughout her lifetime, leading many into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. She taught in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Child Evangelism and later, taught adult Bible studies in nursing homes. She would go into neighborhoods with her cookies, juice, and stories of Jesus and inviting children to church. Every Saturday night she would call a list of children to see who needed a ride; then on Sunday morning she would get in her minivan and pick up any child that wanted to go. She took great pleasure in decorating the church each summer for Vacation Bible School, including building elaborate floats for the Bellaire 4th of July parade in order to advertise summer VBS in the community.Nita enjoyed traveling. Two of the most meaningful journeys she made were her multiple tours through Israel, led by her son-in-law, Dave Anderson, and her tour through Germany where she was able to visit sites of her family origin. Her favorite trips, however, were right here in Texas, to the annual Bartels Family Reunions. For 57 years, she made that joyous trip, gathering together with all who could come. She believed it was important to pass on the rich heritage of the Bartels family to her children. All of her daughters settled in Texas so that she could be deeply involved in each of their lives, as well as the lives of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She relocated to Midland, TX, in 2012 and has enjoyed living at Manor Park for the past five years in a loving, peaceful community.Nita is preceded in death by her parents, Karl and Erna Bartels; her siblings Roseline Bartels, Sonja McKemie, Linda Hardwicke, Karl Bartels and her grandson, Jimmy Anderson.Nita leaves behind many to cherish her memory including her six daughters and their husbands: Betty and Dave Anderson, Jackie and Wayne Dunkel, Frances and Charlie Younger, Donna and Jim Harris, Sandy Hazlewood, and Carrilynn and Steve Fontenot; her 20 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren; her siblings, Bernhard and his wife Lois Bartels, Helene Morgan, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.The family would like to personally thank Janie Caldwell, Helen Esparza, all the staff at Manor Park, and Home Hospice for their years of love and care for Nita in her latter years.A Memorial Service will be held in the Parks-Faudree Family Chapel at Manor Park on Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 2:00 pm. Graveside services will be in Holland, Texas, on June 16, 2017 at 3:30 pm. An additional Memorial Service will be held with all the Bartels family at the annual Bartels Family Reunion in Kerrville at Inn of the Hills on Saturday, June 17, 2017.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Nita's memory to one of her favorite charities: Child Evangelism Fellowship, 901 Pinemont, Houston, TX 77018, online: www.cefonline.com or Grace School of Theology, 3705 College Park Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77384; online: www.gsot.edu.Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.,