Martin Jonas Lotz

August 19,1971 Sven Martin was born in Dortmund/Germany. At the time of his birth his mother was very young therefore she couldn’t take care of him. His father came from Zaire and lived in Dortmund with his family. He was an engineer. In 1975 his father moved back to Kongo with his family. Within his first 3 years Martin Jonas lived in different foster families.

In March 1974 Martin Jonas was mediated by the youth walfare office into our family. At that time our journey together as parents, son and brother starts.

One year later, Martin Jonas got our family name and his first name was changed from Sven Martin into Martin Jonas.

We moved into a small swabian village next to Stuttgart. Together with his brother Urs he went into the kindergarten. Martin Jonas enjoyed the liberties which are provided to children in such a small place. But his coloured skin gave rise to difficulities with the local people.

So that our sons could attend the Waldorf School, we moved to Stuttgart in the Schwabenhaus. This was a student residence in a fantastic location. Nothing better could happen to us as a family than to be able to live freely in this community with so many young people.

From 1978 - 1992 he attended the Waldorf School on the Kraherwald in Stuttgart. In spring 1989, Martin Jonas went to Bigfork / Montana for a year within a student exchange program. We thank his host family Turner for the loving reception in their family. Martin Jonas felt very comfortable with them and would have loved to stay in the USA straight away.

His schooling ended when he graduated from high school in the summer of 1992. Our special thanks go to Ms. Löwe, his class teacher, who accompanied him until 1995 he trained as a foreign language correspondent and translator. During this time we parents were separated. This was a difficult time for our sons and us.

Martin Jonas now began to implement his wish to live in America with determination. He met Penelope - an American soldier stationed in Stuttgart - and moved with her and her children to Houston.

In May 1997 he started his life in Houston, where he married Penelope. This marriage was short-lived.

Continental Airlines / United Airlines became his professional home with all of his valued and loving colleagues. He was very attached to this employer and remained loyal to him throughout the years.

July 21, 2003 was an important day in Martin Jonas life. His son De Aundrae was born. He became the most important person in his life. As a single father, he looked after his son very lovingly and responsibly. Together with him, he visited friends and relatives in Germany every two years.

We spent the last time we had on these summer holidays in a warm bond.

His long-cherished and repeatedly postponed dream of crossing the Rocky Montains with his father and son is no longer fulfilled.

What we have left are many happy memories, a package of unanswered questions that we can never clear up and a deep and painful gap in our lives.

Martin Jonas had to struggle with so many obstacles in his life, but he was always a kind, helpful, sincere and honest person. With a very own and unmistakable laugh.

Jonas, we let you go and live with you in our hearts. We love and miss you very much.

Gudrun, Werner, Urs and de’Aundrae