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Maria Dondoneau, 93, of Grand Forks, ND passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks.

Maria Happel was born on October 20, 1932, in Ruchenbach, Germany to Johannes and Margareta (Lenhart) Happel. Her mother died when she was a very young girl, and because her father never remarried, she and her many siblings cared for each other while their father worked on the railroad. After graduation, Maria moved to Giessen, Germany, where she worked as a live-in nanny for a military family. It was there she began a two-year courtship with a dashing American soldier after being set up on a blind date. On June 27, 1958, Maria married Donald Dondoneau at the Chapel on the German American base, and they continued that relationship for 67 more years. Maria and Don lived in military housing. She continued to work, but during free time she watched her husband play softball, traveled with friends to larger cities like Frankfurt, went bowling, and improved her English language skills by attending American movies. While living in Giessen, she suffered the loss of infant twin sons who were eventually laid to rest at the cemetery in Terrebonne, Minnesota.

After his deployment ended, Maria moved with Don to Red Lake Falls, Minnesota to live a short time with her new in-laws, then at a nearby farmstead. Maria worked on the farm, bottle fed lambs and learned to process food with her new mother-in-law. Don and Maria were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Dolores, in January, 1960 and eventually moved to Grand Forks, so Don could work at the University. Throughout her life, Maria was a devoted mother, wife and in-law. She embraced her new country, but never lost her love of Germany. She traveled twice back to her homeland to see family, and maintained a life-long relationship with her group of "German Club' friends in Grand Forks and later in Mesa, Arizona.

Maria loved to read books in both German and English. She was a faithful attendee at her church and supported the Bridge Builders Club promoting education. Together, she and her husband built the Lighting Studio, where Maria spent countless hours working. She was good with numbers, and kept the books for the store, as well as their landscaping business. She liked to travel to the Casino with Don and friends, but was frugal and sought out the cheapest machines. Maria was an intelligent, caring individual, who loved family and put the happiness of others before her own.

As her mobility decreased, she and Don moved back from their home and friends in Mesa, to East Grand Forks for nearly a decade before moving to an apartment at Edgewood Assisted Living in July 2025. As the result of a fall, Maria suffered an injury and spent her last months at Valley Transitional Living, working with rehab to regain her strength. Despite her physical challenges, Maria's mind, memory and determination remained clear and vivid until the time of her death.

Maria is survived by her husband, Don; her sisters-in-law, Joan (Vern - deceased) Dondoneau and Irene Hoks; her brothers-in-law, Les (Deb) Dondoneau and Roger (Pat) Larson; and numerous nieces, nephews, family and friends in both the United States and Germany.

Maria was preceded in death by her children, a daughter, Dolores and twin infant sons; her parents; many siblings and much family in Germany; Donald's parents Steve and Elizabeth Dondoneau; sisters-in-law, Lucille Reese, Rosemary Larson; and twins, Dolores and Darlene, in infancy; brother-in-law, Vern Dondoneau, niece, Julie Mischel and nephew, Michael Dondoneau.

Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 2, 2025, in St. Michael's Catholic Church, Grand Forks, ND.
Visitation: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday, December 1, 2025, with a 6:30 p.m. Recitation of the Rosary and 7:00 p.m. Vigil Service in the Historic Norman Funeral Home Chapel.  Visitation will continue for one hour prior to the liturgy in the Church on Tuesday.
Burial: Calvary North Cemetery, Grand Forks, ND.