Dolores (McClelland) Auffarber

Dolores McClelland Auffarber, age 93, of Houston, Texas passed away peacefully on August 7, 2023 at The Shores at Clear Lake in Houston surrounded by her children. Dolores was born in Nederland, Texas on June 22, 1930 to native Texans Conder and Georgia McClelland.

Dolores spent her childhood in Beaumont, Texas and moved to Woodville, Texas when she was 14. She graduated from Kirby High School in Woodville in 1947 and attended Sam Houston State University thereafter. She moved to Houston around 1950. She met Kurt Auffarber in 1952 and they were married in 1957 at Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Houston. They had two children, Stephen and Karen. Dolores was a homemaker and a volunteer for her children’s school activities at Trinity Lutheran School and Lutheran High School. When the kids got older, she worked as a bookkeeper at the same company she worked for prior to getting married. She loved any crafts and became a skilled cake decorator. She made beautiful cakes for many occasions including elaborate wedding cakes. She loved cooking, camping, sewing, and quilting. Her work was intricate and beautiful. She volunteered her time making quilts for Lutheran World Relief with her quilting group at church. When she wasn’t quilting, sewing, baking, or reading, you could find her sitting in her favorite recliner, one of her cherished cats or dogs in her lap. She was very patient, and kind to everyone.

In 1981, she decided to go back to college and attended the University of Houston. She graduated with a degree in nutrition in 1986 and began working at the University assisting the professors in the food labs. She was honored by the Federation of Houston Professional Women in 1997 as a “Woman of Excellence” for her work there. She retired from the University of Houston in 1997. What Dolores loved best was spending time with her family and she never said no to babysitting her grandkids. She was close to each one of them.

Dolores and Kurt lived in Lindale Park inside the loop in Houston from marriage until 2008 when they moved to Seabrook to be near their children. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church from 1957 to her passing.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Conder Stewart and Georgia Augusta McClelland and her husband, Kurt Alfred Auffarber. They were married for 53 years prior to his passing in 2010. She is survived by her son Stephen and his wife Gail Auffarber; daughter Karen and her husband William (Billy) Todd; grandson Stephen Thomas (Tommy) and wife Emily Dawn Auffarber; granddaughter Kristen Nicole Todd, granddaughter Kari Brooke Todd and Nathan Matlack; great-grandchildren Carolina Rose Auffarber, Lyndon Thomas Auffarber, Layne Joseph Auffarber, and twins Kaia Rose and Kinley Brooke Matlack; and dear friend Judy McGoldrick.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to Lutheran World Relief (https://lwr.org), Galveston County Meals on Wheels (https://www.imgh.org/donate/meals/), or a charity of your choice.

Visitation will be from 5-8 pm on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Services and interment will be held at 10 am on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at Forest Park East Funeral Home, 21620 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX 77598.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared below for the Auffarber family.