Alice Elaine (Kroger) Rauckhorst

Alice Elaine Rauckhorst, 78, known as Elaine to the countless people who loved her, died peacefully on February 17, 2020 in Oxford, Ohio. Oxford was a beloved home for Elaine and husband William Rauckhorst for 35 years.

Born in Fort Thomas, Kentucky in 1941 to parents Henry and Bernice Kroger, Elaine was the youngest of three children. She never forgot her Kentucky roots, but she loved adventure and exploring the world around her. During college summers, Elaine brought delight to kids as a camp counselor and arts & crafts teacher at Camp Marydale in Erlanger, Kentucky and Our Lady of London Camp in Ontario, Canada. She and cousin Pauline taught the Canadian sleep away campers to sing “My Old Kentucky Home” while they in turn, gave tribute to their host country singing “O Canada” each morning. 

After graduating from Thomas More College in 1963, Elaine married her sweetheart William Rauckhorst and worked as a Catholic school teacher. Teaching was a perfect calling for her - she had boundless energy and and was a kid at heart. Her teaching assignments over a span of more than three decades included Christ the King School in Springfield, IL; Sts. Peter and Paul School in Naperville, IL and St. Peter in Chains School in Hamilton, OH.  

She and William had daughters Cindy, Jane and Julie within a few years of one another and poured their hearts and energies into raising their beloved children, going to swim meets, school plays, softball games, volleyball games, providing advice on friendships and dating - which young men were good prospects and which were not and teaching their kids to be curious and care about their friends and the people around them. Elaine loved the Girl Scouts, and she found time to volunteer as a troop leader while her daughters were growing up. 

Hosting parties was a particular talent of Elaine’s, and her entertaining and cooking were inspired. It didn’t really matter what the occasion was, she just loved making others feel honored and special. She was known to get up at 5 a.m. to make special breakfasts for her grandchildren and enjoyed making everything from cake pops to German Springerle cookies and goetta. 

Throughout her life, Elaine brought fun, laughter and a lighthearted spirit. Beneath her Midwestern kindness was an exceptional character, tenacity and unwavering focus on helping others, particularly the poor and less fortunate. Following her retirement from teaching, Elaine was a whirlwind of activity, flying to Cleveland, New York, North Carolina, San Francisco and other locations to help nurture her seven grandchildren. Husband William gave her the nickname ‘Super Nanny’ for her unparalleled grandparenting skills. 

Elaine served as a docent at the Miami University Art Museum for more than 20 years and as a member of the PEO sorority in Oxford. She was the magic ‘green thumb’ behind the beautifully landscaped gardens at St. Mary Catholic Church in Oxford and served as a Eucharistic minister there and assisted Campus Ministry students with projects on campus and in Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati. Somehow she found time for golf, tennis, paddle tennis, pickle ball, bridge club and book club too.  

Preceded in death by her mother Bernice Kroger and father Henry Kroger of Fort Thomas, Kentucky and brother Fr. Jack Kroger, Elaine is survived by husband William, sister Marilyn Adick (Robert); cousin Pauline Baumann (Norbert) and daughters Cynthia Johanson (Jon), their children Katie (Alex), Allison (Alex) and Emily; Jane Corrigan (George), their children Rocky and Dwyer; Julie Thomas (Patrick) and their children Charles and Teddy. 

A memorial service will be held on Friday, Feb. 28th at St. Mary Catholic Church, 111 E. High Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056 with visitation at 10 a.m. and service at 11 a.m., followed by a reception at the St. Mary Parish Center. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests any donations be sent to the St. Mary Garden Fund. 
 

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