Elma Harriett Roth; Fresno, CA

Elma Harriett Roth is the daughter of Johann Heinrich 'Henry' Roth (1882-1949) and Anna Schwabenland (1885-1979). She was born on April 1, 1917 in Fresno, California and had siblings Christina (1906-1907), Katherine (1908-1908), Henry Jr (1910-1982), and Helen Loraine Roth (1925-2004). She married Walter Marks (1915-1999) in 1939 at the Zion Congregational Church and they had two sons together, Neil and Gordon. As said in the Elma Harriet Marks: Obituary, "Elma was blessed with a keen wit, a compassionate way of listening, and an independent, feisty spirit that enabled her to live on her own until the age of 87. She rose every morning 6:00 a.m. and would start the day by reading the newspaper. She was curious and interested in the world, and was knowledgeable about politics and current events." Elma was a long-time member of Trinity Lutheran Church and a member of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia where she frequently volunteered in a way to supporting her family heritage that she cherished so much.