How to overwrite template.php file

Got it.

In your parent template.php. Some function were not wrapped in:

if( !function_exists('function_name') ) {
   // function content
}

So you won’t able to override that function. Make sure to wrap parent function that tend to be override in child by above code.

FYI, for function, you don’t need to create a file with same structure in parent. Actually, it has no effect :). Just place it in functions.php or another file that IS INCLUDED by functions.php

For example, to override function named function_name in your child theme functions.php:

function function_name() {}

What you did is overriding page template file.