Dorothea A. Derickson

  Dorothea Derickson, nee Ermlich, was born in Oberhausen, Germany in 1924. She was premature and her grandmother initially took care of her; the neighbor ladies asked "You want to raise this child?!" Dorothea always loved to recall: "And look how this child turned out!" She was the black sheep of the family, rebelling against the traditional rules; smoking; and wanting to join the Army (since she was underage, however, her father did not give his consent!). The family all survived World War II, though she always retained the memories of air raids and hauling the family piano down several flights of stairs during a bombing raid. 

  She emigrated to the United States in 1955. Her English was adequate. Her teacher had told her father "She could do it, but she's lazy." Her response was "What do I need English for?" So she married an American in 1957. Wallace was a Germanophile, who promptly moved her back to Germany in 1958 when he got a Fulbright Scholarship to study German! The two then shuttled back and forth between Germany and the U.S. for the rest of their lives. 

  Dorothea loved people and was open for friendship with anybody. She often hugged total strangers. She loved flowers, nature, and music. The once-premature and always petite Dorothea proved to be tough indeed, weathering 50 years of smoking without ill effect; coming through a triple bypass at age 86 with flying colors; living on a daily diet of cookies, cake, and chocolate; and celebrating her 100th birthday. 

  She is survived by her brother Siegfried, a 95-year-old retired Methodist minister; her daughter Angela; and her son-in-law Bruce, with whom she shared numerous prankster moments, including lobbing acorns at each other in the garden. She had a large circle of friends over the years in Germany and the U.S., loved volunteering in the military thrift shops, and participating in the German-American Women's Club, where she was officially awarded the humorous title of "Alte Schachtel", which literally means "old box" but was actually an affectionate tribute in honor of her esteemed age. She enjoyed the simple pleasures of life and treasured her family and friendships. 

 In lieu of flowers, donations to Hospice of the Chesapeake can be sent. She made some final friends there, and is no doubt making more in Heaven now.