Elfriede Crage

Elfriede Crage, known as Elfi, died suddenly on Tuesday, September 20th at 10:15am due to aspiration, a complication of Parkinson's disease. She was born on May 15, 1942, in Vienna, Austria. She spent her first years with her parents, Anton and Ilse Weikmann, and her siblings Ingeborg, Antonia, and Ilse. The family lived in Vienna and spent time with family in Langenlois. From her mother she learned to thirst for knowledge: to question everything, find and accept truth, to love poetry and to read literature. From her father she learned to create, build, and fix things, to value the right tools for any given job, to work with wood, and to help and be kind to others. After high school, she studied sawmilling and social work. Elfi moved to Seattle, WA in early 1966 and started her family. Her children are Michael Crage, Renee Case, Suzanna Crage, and Katrina Schmidt. She delivered newspapers for the Seattle Times for many years, while earning a bachelor's degree in Education and German Studies. Afterward, she taught in the Seattle Public School District. Some of her many talents included: quilting, sewing clothes, cooking, hosting with beautifully set tables and caref...[more]

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y planned meals, gardening, making origami, and carving. She was interested in classical music, poetry, minority and female authors, art (particularly modern art), going to museums and festivals, and much more. She also built many things, including bunkbeds and closets for her home in Seattle. She translated many texts from German to English. She stayed inquisitive and involved in social groups her entire life--even as she experienced early onset Parkinson's disease, which affected her quality of life for over 30 years. In 2012 she moved to Omaha, NE to be near her youngest daughter, Katrina Schmidt, who supported and advocated for her as she aged. She was survived in death by her children, Michael Crage, Renee Case, Suzanna Crage, and Katrina Schmidt, her grandchildren Carl and Alex Case and Anthony and Daniel Schmidt as well as her sister Ilse Lister. She was also loved by her nieces and nephews, Margit Kietaibl, Bernhard and Harald Kümel, Angie Weikmann, and Elisabeth Lister as well as Margit's children, Antonia and Cordula Kietaibl and Angie's children Judith and Clemens Weikmann. Her funeral will be held October 8th at 4pm at the First Unitarian Church of Omaha located at 3114 Harney Street in Omaha. It can be attended digitally on you tube, by following the link here or see below. In lieu of flowers, if so, desired please send memorial donations to Parkinson' s Nebraska. Cards may be sent to Katrina and her sons at 216 Arbor Court, Omaha NE 68108. https://youtu.be/AvGI5jk7hew