Eleanore was born to Max Alfred and Ana Elsa Jaehrig on March 28, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. She grew up, alongside her sister, Irene, in a very traditional German household. She was confirmed in the Lutheran church, learned to play the mandolin, and won the Illinois state penmanship contest. Her beautiful penmanship was always a hallmark of the thousands of letters she wrote to family and friends, many of whom she had known since childhood. In fact she and her friend Mary Jo still wrote to each other weekly.
After high school graduation, she attended business school, and then took a job as an Executive Secretary at a Chicago-based hardware distributor where she met and fell in love with a charming young man who came to fix the office machines named Donald Donnenwerth.
Don and Ellie (as they called each other) eventually made their home in Houston, TX where they raised their two children and enjoyed 62 years of marriage until his death in 2012. Eleanore was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star for 50 years where she joyfully served in their many charitable causes including 15 years in the MD Anderson cancer patient handicraft program.
Eleanore overflowed with love, generosity, kindness, patience, and wit. She loved to serve those around her with a home cooked meal, a hot cup of coffee, or a word of encouragement. No one was ever turned away.
Eleanore was preceded in death by Alfred Jaehrig (father), Elsa Jaehrig (mother), Donald Donnenwerth (husband), Irene Rau (sister), and Larry Donnenwerth (son).
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Debra & Richard Galena and daughter-in-law Leslie Jones Donnenwerth, as well as granddaughters Erin (Jonathan) Fenner, Rebekah Sharp, Hannah Donnenwerth, and grandsons Robert (Caitlin) Galena, Justin (Sydney) Donnenwerth, Tyler (Amilia) Donnenwerth, Jarred (Kierian) Donnenwerth, and Caleb (Rebekah) Donnenwerth.
Great grandchildren: Asher, Abigail, Emily, Darcy, Owen, Matthew, Corbin, Elliott, Connor, Ilia, Caspian, and Willow.
Extended Family: Caden (Arlie) Jones, and Keaton (Reagan) Jones. Jax, Ellie Ray, Blayke, and Beckham.
