Greta Marcussen Ley Kauf, 96, of Terre Haute, IN, a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, educator, and valued volunteer, passed away at her home on Wednesday, August 7, 2013. She was born on November 16, 1916, to Hans Nicholas Siegfred Marcussen and Margrethe Andersen Marcussen in Aarhus, Denmark, and was baptized, confirmed, and remained a devout Christian of Lutheran heritage throughout her life. Spanning almost a century, she lived and served during WWII in a west coast military hospital; survived her family's financial downturn during the Great Depression; raised her children while writing articles for the Lake Country Reporter in Hartland, WI; and did everything from directing, staging, and acting in the Kettle Moraine Players Community Theatre in Delafield, WI. Her craft as an artist was exhibited in a Cushing Elementary School Mural and in Milwaukee and Chicago jewelry art shows. A portion of her collection of paintings is held by her family. She is known and loved by many for her tenure as a Fine Arts Instructor and Alumni House Hostess at St. John's (Northwestern) Military Academy in Delafield, WI. It is there that she molded young men in the ways of art and culture as the first female teacher on the academy's campus. She is survived by her two daughters, Karen Greta Endlich of Bayside, WI and Linda Annemarie Afdahl and her husband, Gordon Earl Afdahl, of Terre Haute, IN. She is also survived by her son, Douglas Gordon Ley Kauf of Springfield, MO. Her legacy lives on in her grandchildren and great grandchildren whom she adored. Granddaughter, Jennifer Belinda Afdahl Rice resides in Oakland, CA with her husband, Lowell Talban Afdahl Rice, and great grandsons, Isaac Nicholas and Gregory James Afdahl Rice. Granddaughter, Pastor Melissa Anne Micham, and her husband, Marvin Wilbur Micham, live in Berkey, OH. Grandson, Conrad Douglas Endlich, resides in Houston, TX with his wife, Amy Joy Endlich, and great granddaughter, Audrey Elizabeth Endlich. Greta is preceded in death by her parents, her former husband, Gordon Philip Ley Kauf, and her only sibling, Charles Marcussen Sr. of Slidell, LA. A Memorial Service in celebration of Greta's life will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 13, 2013, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 2620 Ohio Boulevard, Terre Haute, with Reverends Dana Newhouse and Robert Swanson officiating. A luncheon will immediately follow the service. Visitation will be Monday, August 12, 2013, at Callahan & Hughes Funeral Home, 605 South 25th Street, Terre Haute, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. For those desiring, memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, 2620 Ohio Blvd., Terre Haute, IN 47803 or Hospice of the Wabash Valley, 400 8th Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47804.
