Waltraud "Wallie" Elizabeth Krah Moody

Ms. Moody passed on December 31, 2021, after a lengthy illness.

She was born Waltraud Elizabeth Krah on June 8, 1939, in Bad Homburg, v.d.H., Germany. At age 5, she lost her father, Nikolaus Krah, during WWII. Her mother, Erna Kreibohm Krah Cech, although not Catholic herself, raised her in the Catholic faith, as promised. She grew up with many friends and cousins who loved to play in the orchards, picnic by the creek, and window shop. She and her mother lived in Oberursel/Ts. until Wallie graduated from school, at which time, they moved to Bad Homburg. Wallie would ride the streetcar into Frankfurt to attend business school and work at Latscha’s Grocery Store as a cashier.

During Fasching in 1960, she met an American soldier, James “Jim” Moody, when he asked her to dance. After the dance that evening, Jim worriedly told his German friend that he had met the woman he was going to marry but forgot to get her telephone number. Luckily, his German friend knew Wallie…and the rest, as they say, is history! Jim dated Wallie for several years and was quite nervous when he asked her stepfather, Rudi Cech, for her hand in marriage. The couple was married by the Justice of the Peace on Friday, March 1, 1963, and in church at St. Heddwigs Kapelle in Oberursel/Ts. on Saturday, March 2, 1963.

Shortly after becoming a military wife, the couple moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where Wallie gave birth to their daughter, Jacqueline Dawn Moody, on February 9, 1965. When Jacqueline was ten days old, Jim had to leave for Korea at which time Wallie took her daughter and headed back to Germany. The next 12 years, Wallie mainly spent in Germany with her family as Jim had two tours in Vietnam as well as German duty stations in between tours in Munich, Camp King, and Fischstein. The family briefly lived in Fort Huachuca, Arizona for six months in 1970.

The Moody family arrived in Fort Hood, Texas on Wallie’s birthday, June 8, 1977. They settled in Killeen and made it their permanent home after Jim retired from the military. In 1983, Wallie decided to start selling Avon. After two years of selling the products, she became an Assistant District Manager and then in 1987 became a full-time employee of Avon Products, Inc. as a District Sales Manager. Wallie loved her work as a District Sales Manager for Avon. She enjoyed conducting monthly district meetings, hosting parties at the house, and traveling with other managers for conferences to various locations such as Las Vegas, the Bahamas, and Paris, France. After 16 years as a District Sales Manager, Wallie’s supervisor and friends gave her a wonderful retirement party at the Stagecoach Inn in Salado.

Wallie loved to travel, especially cruise, and enjoyed dancing, playing pinochle with friends, and every now and then attending the Germania Club. Her favorite pastimes were swimming, relaxing in the backyard, and watching movies with a good glass of wine, preferably Chardonnay. One of Wallie’s proudest moments was when she became a U.S. citizen on December 18, 1986.

She was the stereotypical staunch German who was hardworking, well-organized, and always punctual. She showed strength and courage when needed but always loved unconditionally and left everyone with a smile on their face.

Waltraud E. Moody is survived by her husband of nearly 59 years, James E. Moody of Killeen, Texas, and her daughter, Jacqueline D. Moody of Arlington, Texas.

Wallie loved children and animals. In lieu of flowers to the family, please consider donating in her name to St. Jude’s or the SPCA.