Louise Marie Austin

Louise Marie Austin, 90, passed away on October 21, 2018, at Midland Hospice in Topeka, KS.

Born in Kansas City, Mo., on April 30, 1928, Louise Marie Tate was the only child of Herman and Emma "Tate" Wheelbarger.

She graduated from Leavenworth Senior High School in 1948 and attended the University of Kansas.

Louise married Charles W. Moore in November 1952, in Lawrence, KS. They had two children, Michael "Mike" and Jane. They divorced in 1970, and she later married James "Jim" Austin on Oct. 18, 1980, in Helena, Mt.

In her early years, she worked at her parent's family dry cleaning business in Leavenworth.

In her adult life, Louise was a bookkeeper, working in Topeka at Bank One, Knox Construction, and Cornerstone of Topeka; in Helena, Mont., at Helena Abstract and Title; in Leavenworth at Schanze & Banks and the Rayburn Agency.

Her hobbies included gardening, professional dog showing, reading, snowmobiling and singing. She cared for every stray animal she found.

Throughout her lifetime, Louise served on the boards of numerous organizations including Forest Park, National Alliance on Mental Illness Topeka, Soroptimist International Club of Topeka, Cornerstone of Topeka, American Business Women's Association, United Methodist Women, and Cushing Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. She was a Girl Scout and Boy Scout leader. Throughout her life, she supported local animal shelters wherever she lived.

She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Jim, of Topeka, daughter Jane Nitchals (Kenneth), of Lawrence, grandchildren Matthew Woodward (Brandy), of Perry, and Peggy Hugen (Todd), of Des Moines, Iowa, three great-grandchildren, Kenneth Woodward, Abigail Hugen and Thomas Hugen and step-daughter Teriann Austin-Ness, Idaho Falls, ID; grandsons: David Ness, Johnathan Ness (Cinda) and great-grandsons: Gavin Ness and Mason Ness of Idaho Falls, ID.

She is preceded in death by her son Michael Moore, and her parents Herman and Emma Wheelbarger.

A Celebration of Louise's life will be held at 1 p.m., on Tuesday, October 30, at First United Methodist Church's Chapel, 600 SW Topeka Ave, in Topeka, KS. Internment at Memorial Park Cemetery, 3616 SW Gage Blvd, Topeka, KS, immediately following.

Memorial donations in memory of Louise can be made to Helping Hands Humane Society, 5720 SW 21st St, Topeka, KS; Topeka Public Library's Red Carpet program, 1515 SW 10th Ave, Topeka, KS 66604; or Midland Care Connection Hospice, 200 SW Frazier Circle, Topeka, KS 66606.