Elfriede Martha Koschemann Ragland

Elfriede Martha Koschemann Ragland, age 96, passed away peacefully on March 5, 2026. She was born on August 29, 1929, in Ohlau, Silesia, Germany. Elfriede enjoyed a happy childhood in her hometown until World War II forced her and her family to flee their home. Through the hardships of those years, she developed the strength, resilience, and faith that guided her throughout her life.

On October 6, 1948, she married Rayborn Clayton Ragland, an American soldier she met in Germany following the war. The couple came to the United States and settled in Austin, Texas, where they lovingly raised their five children. In 1975, they moved to their farm in Fredericksburg, Texas, where they spent the remainder of their years together. Rayborn preceded her in death in 2017.

Elfriede devoted her life to her family as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and homemaker. She found great joy in cooking and baking for those she loved, tending her garden, and creating beautiful sewing and needlework. She was known for her generous heart, strong work ethic, and deep Christian faith. While living in Austin, she was a faithful member of St. Martin’s Lutheran Church. After moving to Fredericksburg, she became a member of Zion Lutheran Church and was a devoted participant in a Bible study group led by Dr. Ron Stotz.

She is survived by her children, Monika Edwards, Carolyn Crews and husband Darius, and Robert Ragland and wife Shelly; her brothers, Karl Koschemann and Wolfgang Koschemann; and a large and loving family of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rayborn Clayton Ragland; her children, Diane Miller and Daniel Ragland; her son-in-law, Stevan Edwards; her grandchildren, Craig Reininger and Patrick Reininger; and her siblings Margarete, Gertrude, Helmut, Georg, Ingeborg, Werner, and Horst. Elfriede will be remembered as a loving, giving, hardworking, and resilient Christian woman whose greatest joy was caring for her family. Her faith, strength, and devotion will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.