Lillian L. Hauch

Lillian L. Hauch, 89, of St. Joseph passed away unexpectedly and peacefully Sunday evening March 28, 2010 at Caretel Inns of Royalton. A Celebration of Life service will be held 11:30 A.M. Wednesday March 31, 2010 at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph with Pastor Paul Koehneke officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph. Friends may visit 10:00 A.M. until 11:30 A.M. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society or Lutheran Hour Ministries. Those wishing to sign the memory book on line may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Lillian was born in St. Joseph in 1920 to Frank and Mary (Radde) Frobel. Lillian attended the old Garfield School across from her family home on Michigan Avenue. She graduated from St. Joseph High School and Benton Harbor Business College and worked as a bookkeeper at the Malleable in Benton Harbor for a few years before marrying and starting her family. In 1946 she married Lawrence “Larry” Hauch of Baroda, who preceded her in death in 1999. During their happy retirement years they enjoyed traveling and took great pride in watching their children and grandchildren flourish. She was a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Joseph. Lillian was a loving wife and mother to their four children, Mary Lou (William) Crotty of Hull, Massachusetts, Dr. Thomas (Sally) Hauch of South Bend, Indiana, Dr. Martha Hauch (Dr. Kenneth Warner) of Needham, Massachusetts and Laura (Scott) Kebschull of Rancho Palos Verdes, California. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Adam, Thomas and Charles Hauch and Patrick, Audrey and Mary Warner and five step grandchildren, William Jr., Julie, Patrick, Molly and Robert Crotty and many dear nieces and nephews and her devoted caretaker and companion, Ida Burge. Lillian also leaves her many wonderful friends and caregivers at Caretel, who helped her so much in recent years. Lillian was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and two sisters Marian Essig Mileski and Ruth Frobel. Lillian was a gifted oil and watercolor artist. Her family treasures her landscape and seascape works which she was hesitant to show publicly, but which won awards at the Berrien County Fair. Lillian’s vivacious, outgoing personality, wonderful sense of humor and delight in talking to others stayed with her to the end. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.