Ernestine Klauz

Ernestine (Erna) Klauz was born in Graz, Austria on May 22, 1922 to Adolf Muller and Theresia Eichholzer. She had a younger brother, Adolf who predeceased her. Erna met her future husband, Leo Peter Klauz while serving as a translator and secretary for the British occupying forces in Austria after World War 2. Leo was a refugee from the war torn Yugoslavia where he was in a catholic refugee camp. Leo and Erna married on 8 July 1948 and immigrated to America in the early 50’s. They later sponsored Adolf and his wife Herta who immigrated in 1956. After living in Brooklyn, they eventually settled in Massapequa, NY where they lived for many years. Leo worked for Bell Telephone as an accountant and Erna was one of the first employees of Tyree Environmental Services in Farmingdale where she was the executive secretary. In retirement, they moved to Smithtown, NY and Lake Worth, Florida. The Klauzes never had any children, but they were involved in the lives of their three god-children from her brother, Adolf: Elizabeth, Peter, and Ingrid.The Klauzes were avid travelers and visited Egypt, India, Russia, Nepal, and made many trips to Europe and the Caribbean. Leo “Peter” died on 27 October 2002 and is buried at St. Patrick’s in Bay Shore. Erna was very active in the community until her stroke in December 2011 on returning from a Caribbean Cruise. After rehabilitation, she regained the use of her arm, but she was never able to walk again without assistance. After a stay in an assisted living facility, she returned to her home with live-in care. She was a founding member of St Mathew’s RC church in Lake Worth in 1992 and attended Mass in a strip mall until the church was built. Her godson, Peter and his wife Melanie were with her when she passed.