OBITUARY FROM MATTHYSSE KUIPER DeGRAAF FUNERAL HOME (KENTWOOD, MI) WEBSITE:

Laura Franko Hausch, age 65, set sail from this life on Friday, January 17, 2025, while resting peacefully under hospice care at her home in Kentwood, Michigan. She was born on October 29, 1959, in Gary, Indiana, to William and Audrey (Schavey) Franko who both proceed her in death.

She was a 1978 graduate of Hobart High School – a mutually gratifying parting - and that’s when the real fun began. Laura married Brian Knies in 1980, son Tony came along in 1981, and then Andrew in 1985. Laura was invested in every part of the boys’ lives as they attended Meister Elementary where she was a classroom assistant and self-appointed assistant principal to Mr. Rich. This would be a pattern in Laura’s life where it was never enough to participate in something, as it wouldn’t take long for her to be in charge either by appointment or coup d’etat. Laura did not just volunteer in the concession stand at the Little League field, she ran it, and before long was running the entire Little League program. She thoroughly enjoyed taking part in all school and summer activities with the boys.

Later in life she remarried Duane Hausch of Reno, Nevada and relocated west until they decided to purchase a diving business in the Caribbean, as one does. She and Duane lived on St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, for 12 years weathering storms and recessions like the pirates they adored through their shared love of Jimmy Buffett music. They participated in local theater and enjoyed live music and entertaining visitors. Laura took to the island lifestyle like a fish to water, maybe too good some might say. They sold the business and moved stateside to Grand Rapids, Michigan, probably before Laura tried to run the island. She enjoyed her dogs Ziggy and Rhiannon, gardening, and painting before her body could no longer keep up with her dreams and aspirations.

She is survived by husband of 20 years, Duane; sons, Anthony (Melissa) Knies of Harrison, OH and Andrew (Misty) Knies of Valparaiso; brother, Bill (Denise) Franko of Hobart, and brother, Robert (Lisa) Franko of Valparaiso; grandson, Nolan Knies. She loved all of her nieces and nephews, step-grandchildren, and extended family, and many dear friends all over the hemisphere, and still remained friends with Brian.

Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home handled her cremation. A celebration of life will be held in the summer in Northwest Indiana. She will return to the Caribbean upon Duane’s next visit where she will forever be a part of the sea she loved.

This information and the picture below were obtained from: https://www.mkdfuneralhome.com/obituaries/laura-hausch. The picture above was obtained from the 1976 HHS Memories yearbook (when Laura was a sophomore), made available by the Lake County Public Library, at: https://archive.org/details/HOHS1976Images/.