Dorothy L. Lucas

Dorothy L. Lucas, 84, nee Arhelger, of Fredericksburg, died Friday, July 3, 2015.

Funeral services were held at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, July 11, in the chapel of Fredericksburg Funeral Home with the Rev. David Priem officiating.

Interment of the ashes followed at 11 a.m. at Der Stadt Friedhof.

Mrs. Lucas was born Aug. 27, 1930, in Gillespie County, the daughter of Alfred Arhelger and Bertha Koenig Arhelger. She married Frederick C. Lucas on Nov. 16, 1996, at Fairfax United Methodist Church in Fairfax, Virginia. He preceded her in death on Oct. 21, 2006.

A 1948 Fredericksburg High School graduate, Mrs. Lucas worked in San Antonio with the USDA pink boll worm control program before moving to Washington, D.C., in 1950, where she worked for the credit bureau.

After that, she worked for U.S. News and World Report as a photo librarian, as a secretary for the U.S. Army chief of staff at the Pentagon, and for Honeywell Computer Corporation.

She sang with her church choir which had the opportunity to sing at West Point, Washington National Cathedral and the National Christmas Tree lighting during the Eisenhower administration.

She returned to Fredericksburg in November 1990.

Mrs. Lucas is survived by a son, James E. Rennie III and his wife, Pat, of Arlington, Virginia; and a daughter, Jannell Rennie of Vienna, Virginia.

She is also survived by two sisters and one brother, including Merlene Childers of San Antonio, Louise Brown of Cantonement, Florida, and Lester Arhelger of San Angelo.

In addition to her husband and parents, Mrs. Lucas was preceded in death by one sister, Bertha Nell Jung, and three brothers, Alberto Arhelger, Clifton (Slim) Arhelger and Vernon Arhelger.

Memorials may be made to Holy Ghost Lutheran Church, Ave Maria Hospice, The Good Samaritan Center or to the charity of choice.