Bertha Marie Maedgen, 87, of Fredericksburg, TX passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Friday, December 5, 2025.  She was born to Walter and Minnie Weige in Whitharrel, TX on September 3, 1938, and was preceded in death by her parents, beloved brother Buddy Weige, and Lanny, her devoted husband of 60 years.

Bertha is survived by her three daughters: Karla (Charlie) Jackson of Austin, Lana Maedgen of Fredericksburg, and Robin Maedgen (Jason Perkins) of Austin; two grandsons, Evan Jackson of Austin and Adam (Kelly) Jackson of Bend, Oregon, who blessed her with her beloved great-grandson, Austin, whose daily videos she treasured and eagerly awaited. She was a loving and cherished wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to all who met her.

Bertha grew up on a cotton farm in the small west Texas town of Anton in a house built by her father. She loved life on the farm, tending the rich red-dirt garden and caring for the cows, chickens, peacocks and pigs, and was forever grateful for that upbringing. She treasured the memories of her many friends from town who enjoyed coming out after church on Sundays for original 'farm-to-table' meals. She graduated in 1957 from Anton High School where she was a proud twirler and football queen for the Anton Bulldogs. After graduation she attended Draughn's Business School in Lubbock, and while working for the city parks department, she met and married her future husband, Lanny. Shortly thereafter, Lanny accepted a job in Dallas where they made their home for the next 40 years and raised their three daughters. Bertha spent the first 15 years devoted to motherhood and kept busy with PTA activities, served as a Brownie leader and room mother, and chauffeured the girls to their various activities. She later worked as a dental assistant for over 20 years, where she made lifelong friends and earned extra money for her daughters' college funds. Among her proudest moments was witnessing each of them earn their degrees from Texas Tech University or the University of Texas at Austin.

In 2001, Bertha and Lanny both retired, leaving big city life behind, to fulfill their dream of building a home in the Texas Hill Country. They chose Fredericksburg as their new home because it reminded them of their German heritage and small-town roots. They enjoyed a quieter life and many years of friendship with their welcoming neighbors at Settler's Ridge. Many dear neighbors continued to support Bertha after Lanny's passing in 2019, often stopping by with wine and snacks simply to catch up and share in one another's lives.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the compassionate homecare and hospice teams at Methodist Hospital Hill Country for their care and support over the years. The family asks that any memorial contributions be made in her honor to these fine community services, or the Fredericksburg Volunteer Fire Department.

A remembrance service and celebration of Bertha's beautiful life will be held in the spring. Most likely her family will host this in her favorite place, her very own backyard, where she loved spending time just watching the deer and hummingbirds with her beloved cat Ollie at her feet.  We hope that you will join our family at that time as we gather to give thanks for the abundant blessing of her life, which she often described as "the heart of the watermelon."