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Marianne Roth Dornes, 88 years old, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 4, 2024. Marianne was born February 6, 1936, to Micha and Alois Roth in Mannheim, Germany. She was the oldest of three sisters and was six years old when the atrocities of WWII surrounded her. Her mother and sisters fled to the countryside when their house was bombed, and the hunger and fear she endured was remembered for the rest of her life. Her experiences taught her to always be grateful for the good things in life, a mantra she passed to her children and grandchildren. Later, after dropping out of a college preparatory school due to illness, she met her future husband, Roland Dornes, while working as a switchboard operator at a German telephone company. Roland was headed to the United States to work on the space program in Texas. The couple were engaged in Germany, and Marianne soon followed Roland to Brownsville, TX, via a 6-week journey by freighter. After marrying in Brownsville, they moved to San Antonio where she would live the rest of her life. Despite extreme homesickness, Marianne found joy in: her two children, Eric and Christina; dancing in the rain; classical music, novels, and poetry; cooking and baking German delicacies; and quilting, among other crafts and fiber arts. Marianne actively quilted for charity at “The Grange” in Floresville, TX, and won a blue ribbon at the San Antonio Rodeo for her Texas-themed quilt. Another of her passions was helping stray animals, participating in a catch-and-release spay/neuter program for cats in her neighborhood, as well as contributing monetary donations to several organizations. She of course doted on her own pets throughout her life - cats, dogs, and birds alike. Marianne became an American citizen in 1968 and never returned to her beloved Germany to live, but she frequently returned to visit her sisters. She also made sure to connect her children and grandchildren with their German roots through language, culture, and food. She was a dedicated mother and grandmother and was overjoyed to still experience having two great grandchildren to love and cherish: Theodore and William Grubb. She is preceded in death by her husband of 46 years, and her sister Gerlinde Willer of Mannheim, Germany. She is survived by: her sister Hildegard Rieger of Nürnberg, Germany; her children Eric (Barbara) Dornes and Christina (Christian) Dornes-Ermlich; her grandchildren Julia (Peter Mack) Grubb, Alex (Camille) Ermlich, and Kara Dornes; and her two great grandchildren. Marianne will always be remembered for her love and dedication to those she cared for, her creativity, her culinary delights, her perfectionism, and her infectious smile. Marianne’s life will be celebrated privately, but contributions to Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc., or Tracy’s Paws Rescue (tracyspawsrescue.org) would be appreciated. „Glück ist Liebe, nichts anderes. Wer lieben kann, ist glücklich.“ – Hermann Hesse

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Marianne Roth Dornes

February 6, 1936 - September 4, 2024