Marian Otte

Surrounded by love, Marian Pauline Towers Otte passed away on November 5, 2018. She was the widow of Gerard T. Otte, and they shared 36 years of marriage until his death in 1988.

Born in Brownsville, Texas on July 24, 1930, to Claude R. Towers, Sr. and Pearl Marie Leonard Towers, the family later moved back to San Antonio, Texas, where Marian attended school at St. Henry's. At school and in the surrounding neighborhood, Marian formed friendships that would last a lifetime. Even in recent years some of "the girls" from school would get together for lunch. She always enjoyed visiting with Marie, Helen, Pat and Rosalie.

The date of July 24th was a special day for Marian. Not only was it her birthday, but it was also the birthday of her nephew Russell Towers and cousin David Wiegand.

Her daily life was a living example of her Christian faith and she defined the term "servant heart". She was a dedicated parishioner of St. John Berchman's Catholic Church for over 60 years. Marian was always ready to help others, especially if a neighbor needed a ride to an appointment or family needed a place to stay.

Part of her extended family included the community of the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD). Gerard was a firefighter for 30 years and once again, Marian developed lasting friendships through this tight-knit work force. Her affiliation with the SAFD continued beyond Gerard's death. She was happily part of the "Old Timers" group and for several years she enjoyed "Label Day" working alongside friends such as Mary Lou Rogers as they prepared the department's mailing of The Grapevine.

Gerard's second job was as an auto mechanic at Badders Garage. The friendship between the families of Marian and Gerard and Mona and Bud Badders continues today.

For many years, Marian enjoyed playing Bunco with a special group of ladies. She looked forward to those monthly games with family and friends which included her goddaughter Linda Covell Mangham. She also enjoyed line dancing with her sister Pat Brangan and sister-in-law Dot Towers. The treat afterwards was to be joined by her brother Claude Towers, Jr. and brother-in-law Eddie Brangan for lunch. Often times other family members would join in on the lunchtime fun. Marian also enjoyed many fun gambling trips with Pat, Dot, Claude and other family and friends.

Over the years, Marian was a care provider for several generations of family, from her grandmother to her great-grandchildren and all of those in-between. She loved spending time with family, especially when it included four generations of family under one roof at the lake house. In recent years, she'd look around a crowded room at the lake and ask "Where did all these kids come from?"

In years past, Saturday nights meant family night at her home where we would all be treated to her wonderful cooking. The menu rotated between her enchiladas, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken and dumplings, chili, rice and beans, just to name a few. Her specialty cakes included white layered cake with pineapple filling and 7-Minute frosting, Pina Colada Cake and of course her German Chocolate Cake which she baked for special occasions including family weddings.

A debt of gratitude is owed to her neighbors Dora and Porky Lizcano and Patsy and Ernie Martinez. They looked after Marian and oversaw her home and were loved dearly. Care providers in the past few years also include Adela Perez and Deborah Garza. These ladies treated Marian with the love and care of family. At the time of her death, she was provided loving care by Juan and Maggie Lopez and their staff at Garden Ridge Assisted Living.

Marian blessed us with many life lessons, among them; 1) Never throw anything away, you never know when you might need it. 2) There must be at least 101 uses for old pantyhose and plastic newspaper sleeves, so you need to stockpile those for future use. 3) Cook more food than you'll ever serve at mealtime, you can always fill the fridge with plastic containers of leftovers. 4) If you see a flowering plant you like, grab "just a pinch" to get it growing (her cousin Mary Kay also subscribed to this line of thought.) and 5) Lone Star Beer tastes best in a Styrofoam cup with salt and ice!

Her family is honored that her memory will live on in them. Her children and their families include;

Cindy and Robert Hostetler and their daughters and sons-in-law;

Tiffany and Douglas Pierce and children Chandler Rust and Emory Pierce

Katie and Chris Gilreath

Alyse and Logan Woodard

Christopher and Cynthia Otte and their sons and daughter-in-law;

Matthew and Gennifer Otte and their children Andrew, Zachary and Claire

Nicholas Otte

Karen and Gary Arnold and their children;

Shawn Arnold

Nina Arnold

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