On April 10, 2025,  the world got a little quieter. God called Delores Ann Eggemeyer O'Dell to her eternal rest - a true blessing, as she was absolutely exhausted from taking care of everyone and everything she ever came in contact with.

Delores was well known for her chatty demeanor, and could literally talk your ear off.  A skill she often employed while she baked, sewed, fixed, mothered, created, comforted, cleaned, gardened, played, or simply enjoyed life with all those around her. The silence she left behind is deafening to all who were blessed to know her.

Delores was born on January 31st, 1940, in Rowena, TX (in Bonnie Parker's childhood home), to Arthur and Rosa Eggemeyer.

Delores grew up on a farm in Miles, Texas where only the strongest West Texas "stock" survived. Delores didn't just survive there, she thrived - amassing an invaluable set of skills that would turn Martha Stewart pea-green with envy. She grew, prepared, and preserved food.  She sewed clothes, and was instrumental in helping raise her three younger siblings.  She could nurse a sickly animal back to health, cut a rug around a dance floor, and pick a row of cotton, clean. Before she graduated from Miles High School in 1958, she spent her Friday nights entertaining crowds as a majorette. Her early days were a dazzling mix of dirt under her nails and sequins on her uniform - a perfect preview of the life she would lead.

Ever the academic, Delores began her college journey at Angelo State University on a full scholarship.  (Thanks to a pageant win that proved she had both brains and great posture).  But fate had other plans, leading her to transfer to Texas Tech University.  Overcome by heat, she fainted during mass one Sunday at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church in Lubbock, and a swarthy young man came to her rescue. The young hero turned out to be the love of her life, Mike O'Dell. The two proud Red Raiders were married on January 26, 1962.  This began an almost  44-year partnership marked by love and tradition — tenderly symbolized every anniversary when Mike would give her a red rose for every year they were married. Together, they made homes in Corpus Christi, Austin, Liberty Hill, Georgetown, San Marcos, and New Braunfels, and raising four God-fearing children who inherited their parents' deep importance of family.  If Delores's "superpowers" were ever in question, understand that at one point, she had four, small children, including a newborn (the precious daughter), and kids ages 2, 4, and 6.  (The latter three being 100% rambunctious, smelly boys).  All the while, parenting them with the grace and style of Donna Reed.  Thus, cementing her SuperMom standing.

Delores began her 30-year teaching career as a newlywed in Corpus Christi.  She eventually went on to teach kindergarten to high school.  She even taught college courses, inspiring and mentoring students of all ages and backgrounds. It was in San Marcos, however, where she spent the majority of her career, and that her impact was most deeply felt. Few can forget the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls permeating the entire school campus when her home economics classes' restaurant labs were baking and selling them. She eventually moved into San Marcos High School's vocational education program. Delores not only helped her students develop job skills, but was continually out in the community promoting her students to businesses to help them get hired, as well as checking on her employed students to make sure they had everything they needed to succeed (even years after they graduated!).  As a result, nearly every local business in town had a connection to one of her former students, and whenever Mrs. O'Dell walked through the door, the first thing people mentioned was how much she meant to their family. Her influence in the classroom created ripples far beyond the school walls, woven into the very fabric of the community.

In her 60s, while most people were slowing down, Delores decided it was the perfect time to start raising goats, sheep, two llamas, and a donkey.  At one point, she had over 100 animals — and true to form, Delores could identify each one by name.  Even the ones no one else could tell apart.  She personally handled the "messy" business of farm life – like worming – and could toss a bale of hay like a seasoned rancher. She also loved to garden, often growing enough vegetables to feed a small army, and took just as much pride in canning her goods as she did in sharing them.

A devout Catholic, Delores was proud to be an active member and officer of the Catholic Daughters, and part of the perpetual adoration of the blessed sacrament at Saints Peter and Paul Church in New Braunfels. Her children, and especially her grandchildren, will miss all the rosaries she continually prayed over them - most notably in times of strife and hard college exams.

Delores is survived by her four children: sons Curtis, and wife Stacy of McKinney, TX; Dan, and wife, Sarah, of Spicewood, TX; Donny, and wife, Liz, of Taylor, TX; and her loving daughter, Melinda of Spicewood-ish.

"Mimi"- as she was known to most - took great pride in her six grandchildren: Connor, of Denton, TX; Tyler, and wife, Liz, of Dallas TX; Megan, of Austin TX, Reagan, of The Woodlands, TX, Lindsay, of Taylor TX, and Kennedy, and husband Bryce, of Spring Branch, TX.  Mimi was blessedly joyful at becoming a great-grandmother in her final days, with the birth of George Edward O'Dell, of Dallas, TX.  Son of Tyler and Liz.

Delores's husband Mike, her younger brother Kenneth, and her parents Arthur and Rosa were waiting for her in Heaven.  She is survived by her siblings, James, and wife, Rose Eggemeyer of Miles, TX; Lorene, and husband, Tommie Halfmann, of Coleman, TX; sister-in-law, Carol Eggemeyer, of Casper, Wyoming; as well as many nieces and nephews, and their children.

Memorial donations may be made to the Catholic Daughters Ct. 2085, ℅ Linda Hull, Regent, 160 Timber Ridge Drive, New Braunfels, Texas 78132.  Or, to the Marble Falls Senior Activity Center at marblefallsseniorcenter.org, for bringing Mimi fun and fellowship at a time she needed it most. Her absolute favorite activity in the world, was talking to someone new.

A Visitation and Rosary will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, April 27 at Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home in New Braunfels. A Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 28 at Saints Peter and Paul Church in New Braunfels followed by a reception in the church hall.

Please sign the guestbook at www.doeppenschmidtfuneralhome.com