Margarita "Margie" Cuellar Zinsmeyer, of Castroville, Texas, passed away September 11, 2026 at the age of 81. She was born in Houston, Texas, the third child of Ruperto and Lucia Cuellar. She grew up in LaCoste, Texas, surrounded by her large and lively family.

She often shared stories about her childhood, including memories of her Grandpa Lopez's house and the teepee that stood out front. Her great-grandfather was Native American, and Margie and her 11 siblings spent countless hours playing cowboys and Indians. She would laugh when telling the story about the time they accidentally shot her brother, Jr., with an arrow.

Growing up, the family did not have a lot of money, so Margie and her siblings picked cotton in the fields to help earn money for the family. She would laugh and say, "God, I hated it!" She and her sister Mickey would compete to see who could finish the fastest, but their sister Janie beat them every time.

Margie attended LaCoste High School, which at the time was a two-story building. She remembered the tornado that came through and completely leveled the school.

After graduating from high school, Margie joined the FBI, beginning an adventure that would take her far beyond the small town where she grew up. Lord, the stories she told about moving to Washington, D.C., and eventually to Germany, where she spent five years! One of her favorite stories involved stealing a Jeep from an Army base and needing her brother Julis to help get her and her friends out of trouble.

Margie married her first husband, Bill Stevens, and together they had two children, Delynn and Jon. After 15 years of service with the FBI, she left and moved back to Texas with her children.

She later met her second husband, Emil Zinsmeyer, while working at Sammy's. They married in 1976 and welcomed their daughter, Sebrina. Together, they raised their family, ran a contracting business, and operated a hardware store. She could get pretty mad when Sebrina would take paint cans from the store to paint her playhouse—or even a pig! Showing that famous "Cuellar" temper.

She loved to travel and enjoyed taking trips to places like Mexico with old friends and family. She joined the Moose Lodge and helped open its Bingo chapter. Later in life, she especially loved going gambling and playing bingo with her husband, friends, children, and grandchildren.

More than anything, Margie was a constant in the lives of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved deeply, gave freely, and loved unconditionally. Her presence was a source of comfort, laughter, strength, and love for the many people fortunate enough to know her.

Margie is survived by her children, Delynn, Jon, Adam and Sebrina; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; five brothers; two sisters; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Her stories, her laughter, her adventures, and, most of all, her unconditional love will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.

Visitation will be Friday, October 9, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Tondre-Guinn Funeral Home, with a Memorial Service at 10:00 a.m. Services will conclude at the funeral home.

Arrangements by Tondre-Guinn Funeral Home. www.tondre-guinn.com