Audrey June Krauch Mehlhorn's Obituary
Audrey Krauch Mehlhorn went to be with our Lord December 26, 2021. Achieving 98 years, Audrey lived a long and full life marked by faith, humility, and a spirit of quiet joy for each new day.
She was born October 8, 1923, to Frank William Krauch and Luella Kuhlman Krauch in Chicago, Illinois, but moved in early childhood to Memphis, Tennessee. She grew up a midtowner on North Barksdale, attending Vollentine Elementary and graduating from Central High School in 1941. She attended UT Knoxville, where she met her husband of 55 years, Roscoe Morris Mehlhorn, and transferred to Southwestern at Memphis (Rhodes) while Roscoe served in WWII.
They had two children, Diane and Gary, who were born amidst repeated relocations for Roscoe’s work. Happily, in 1967, Audrey prevailed on Roscoe to bring the family home to Memphis, where they settled in Whitehaven. A lifelong Elvis fan, Audrey appreciated the proximity to Graceland, where she once took Diane to meet Elvis as he sat on horseback at the gates. She has remained in her beloved Whitehaven community since that time, a steadfast member of the same church, an avid user of the local library, and a dedicated and daily walker in her neighborhood until a few weeks before her death. She was especially grateful in her latter years for the support and companionship of her friends, including Linda Calaway, who took her grocery shopping and for lunch at Piccadilly, and her friend Dewittress Taylor, who took her to church. The church was an anchor in her life, and she was an active member of Cross of Calvary Lutheran church in Whitehaven for over fifty years. Her friends there lovingly cared for her, and she was recognized by them in 2016 as a Woman of Quiet Influence.
Ever humble, Audrey did appreciate the recognition she received at her library, where staff honored her with a community humanitarian award in 2019. While she was stubborn in some ways, refusing to consider relocation even in her advanced years, she embraced new experiences with joy, including trips to see Michael Buble and the musical Hamilton at the Orpheum.
In addition to her parents, Audrey was preceded in death by her husband Roscoe, brothers and sisters-in-law Wesley (Maybelle) Krauch, Robert (Sadie) Krauch, and Frank (Jean) Krauch, Jr. She is survived by her son Gary (Kathy) Mehlhorn of Springfield, Missouri, Diane (Tom) Long of Memphis; grandchildren Allison (Justin) Fuehne, Matthew (Erin Haney) Mehlhorn, and Emily Mehlhorn of Springfield, and Adam Mehlhorn (Bree Kessler) of Maui, Hawaii; Drew (Stefanie Wulff) Long of Gainesville, Florida, Whitney (Larry) Neal of Memphis, and Parker Long of Los Angeles, California; as well as 10 great-grandchildren.
A private graveside service is planned, with a celebration of life to be scheduled at a later date. Memorial contributions can be made to Cross of Calvary Lutheran Church or the Memphis Library Foundation (Whitehaven branch).
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