Birth: 6 May 1910 Leith, Obernkirchen, Schaumburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
Father: Heinrich Wilhelm Krumfuss1878-1952/58
Mother: Dorette Auguste Hachmeister 1883-b1951
Marriage: 1st October 1954 SW Surrey, UK
Husband: William James Croucher 1900-1985
Death: 2 March 1997 Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, Surrey, UK
Funeral: 13:45 St John the Evangelist, Churt, Surrey, UK
Cremation: 15:00 Guildford Crematorium, New Pond Road, Godalming, Surrey, UK
Ashes: North slope, Devil's Jump, Churt, Surrey, UK
Children
A birth certificate was issued on 11 February 1928 in Obernkirchen, but is nearly illegible giving her birth on sixth May nineteen hundred and ten in Obernkirchen, parents Heinrich Wilhelm Krumfuss and Dorette Auguste Hachmeister. I believe she was born at a farm house in Leith, Obernkirchen. Her father spent many years "improving" the house but rarely got beyond the demolition stage. She did not get on with her father or elder brother, and never mentioned her mother. Another birth certicate was issued on 26 August 1965 in Oberkirchen Obernkirchen "Nr. 61/1910 Lina Minna Luise Krumfuss ist am 6.Mai 1910 in Oberkirchen geboren Eltern: Heinrich Wilhelm Krumfuss und Dorette Auguste Krumfuss, geboren Hachmeister, beide evangelish und wohnhaft in Oberkirchen".
Her brother was born circa 1911 in Obernkirchen, and second brother on 22 July 1915 in Obernkirchen.
She also said very little about her early life - she was in a girl's movement before the war which she spent in Hamburg before it was largely destroyed. She was employed by the owner of a shipping line as a servant - he was responsible for getting some children and/or families ouut of Germany before the war started. We stayed with him in 1958 and also met him at Southampton when he was on a cruise. She stayed in touch with him or his son for many years. She came to England after the War and was employed at the Tower Road nursing home in Hindhead, Surrey, but the heavy lifting proved too much and she was then employed at Horwood House, Beacon Hill Road, Churt when she was housekeeper for Arnold and Lena Esther Levy which is where she met my father.
Her mother died on 10 October 1943 in Rinteln.
An Identity Card issued 2 April 1942 in Hamburg
Marriage of Lina M L Krumfuss and William J Croucher in FreeBMD in October-December 1954 in SW Surrey (5G 1303). On a Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage "Registration District Surrey South Western 1954 Marriage solemnized at The Register Office District of Surrey South Western in the County of Surrey [No.] 127 First October 1954 William James Croucher [aged] 53 years [a] Widower [and] Gardener Domestic [of] Ingledene Churt [father] James Croucher (deceased) [a] Gardener (Domestic), [and] Lina Minna Luise Krumfuss [aged] 44 years [a] Spinster [and] House Keeper [of] Hawood Cottage Hindhead [father] Hienrick Krumfuss [a] Wholesale Victualler. Married in the Register Office by Certificate [...] in the Presence of us R. Deadman [and] Sylvia M Barton". R. Deadman and Sylvia M Barton.
Lina insisted on some modernisations to Ingledene which included putting in a 13 amp ringmain, removing the old black stove from the kitchen which became the living room, and a Rayburn in the scullery which became the kitchen. She had cleaning jobs in the village, the main one being at Old Barn after Horwood House, and my father became the gardener for the Noble family.
Lina had three hobbies. The first was rug making using the Surrey Stitch and each doorway had its little rug. Then came pulled linen and each surface had a pulled linen cloth. Finally it was straw work, not only doming it, but also researching its history, giving courses, and writing a book "Straw Mosaics" with drawings by Trix Rotheroe (SBN 85219-091-3) published by the Reeves Dryad Press, Leicester in 1975. There is german translation but I don't know if it was ever published.
The following was written by my father for a newletter:
Lina Croucher was once introduced as having learned straw marquetry at her Mother's knee. This was not so, neither had she heard of the craft in Germany. It was for a Surrey W.I. exhibition in Dorking with the theme "signs of the Zodiac" she made her first stars, the straws being held together with cotton. That was January 1971. Though primative to her later work they created a bit of a sensation. That started the ball rolling. During the next 12 years the afternoons on six days each week were spent on her craft, experimenting, improving or holding day classes for various groups, and occasionally giving a demonstration in the evening. Many evenings saw her cutting, flattening and grading straw. Her tools were simple - an old kitchen knife, nuts from the tool shed to use as templates, and a good pair of scissors. Twice a change of glue proved beneficial. The finished items which Lina made grew in number until in the mid seventies a lady whom we all know described it as "The work of a lifetime". Lina has a great gift for designing , but unfortunately is unable to draw, hence a great number of designed models, and all are different. Lina's pleasure is in designing, not copying. Her first straws came from wine bottle envelopes and field stubble, later from two square yards of sown oats and rye in the garden. That birds ate the ripe corn mattered not at all. For 1975 a ceremic plater with designs done in varying shades from tall growing grasses was one of 500 items accepted from many thousands submitted for the W.I. Heirloom Exhibition in the Commonwealth Institiute. In the same year Lina provided 31 stars for the Corn Dolly Exhibition in Bethnal Green Museum. In July 1980 at Nerris Wood Agricultural College and in 1982 at the Naidex Exhibition in the International Cunard Hotel, ?Hammersmith she supplied items for show. On two consecutive full days Lina gave instruction in straw marquetry to a class of Occupational Therapistsin the Masonic Headquaters building. By this time her booklet "Straw Mosaics" had become know. It ws always Lina's hope to find a pupil who had her patience and enthusiams coupled with time to spare, but that is a rare combination. In order not to deter others I must point out that Lina's failing eyesight was due to illness not eyestrain.
The Guild of Straw Craftsmen presented a Certificate to Lina Croucher in recognition of her contribution to the Craft of Straw Work October 1994.
I believe many examples were sent to the Obernkirchen Museum but were subsequently destroyed as they did not have a local connection and the space was needed for more relevant exhibits.
Lina was also an excellent cook, made apple jouice from apple windfalls in the orchards, and for many years made ginger beer from a plant given her by Ruth Deadman. She also made country wines which won prizes at Churt Flower Show.
She attended the village Whist Drive evenings with my father, and was a member of a local Rambling group, and was a member of the WI.
She lived with Sylvia helping nurse Dennis Alfred Barton before his death in Spring 1975.
She lost both her sight and hearing after my father's death on 30 November 1985 at Ingledene, but still struggled on unwilling to move in spite of having to walk to the shops in the village.
Entry in the Register of Deaths for Lina Minna L Croucher, born 6 May 1910 in March 1997 aged 86 in West Surrey (B2B 7611B 34). "No. 34 West Surrey County of Surrey Second March 1997 [at] Royal Surrey County Hospital Guildford Lina Minna Louise Croucher [maiden name] Krumfuss [born] 6 May 1910 ]in] Germany [a] Housekeeper (retired) Widow of William James Croucher [a] Gardener (retired) [of] Ingledene, Hale House Lane, Churt, Farnham, Surrey [cause] Intracerebral haemorrage, generalised atheromatous degeneration of arteries [informant] Edward James Croucher [of] Silver Birches, Cottesmore School Lane, Buchan Hill, Pease Pottage, West Sussex [on] Fifth March 1997"
Funeral 13:45 St John the Evangelist, Churt, Surrey, UK
Churt Magazine April 1997 Page 8 Good bye to another old friend.
Lina Croucher, who had lived in Churt for many years since her marriage to William Croucher a few years after the War, died on March 2nd. She had many friends, having taken part in several village organisations, as well as being a regular attender of St. John's Church. Her particular hobby lay in straw marquetry, of which she had many equisite examples and about which she wrote a book. In her final years, Lina almost completely lost both her sight and her sense of hearing, yet she never complained. Her courage was incredable, her loneliness overwelming - (People come up, then walk away" she told me). So many of us in Churt feared for her safety, walking in traffic, lighting a gas stove, etc. Thank God that at last she was safely in hospital, attended by her devoted family almost to the end. D.S.
Her ashes were scattered on the north slope of the Devil's Jump, as she loved the view from the top, especially towards Farnham.
William James Croucher and Lina Minna Luisa Croucher on the Little Lawn at Ingledene, August 1957
Lina Minna Luisa Krumfuss was my stepmother.
Return to Krumfuss Gendex.
Return to Main Gendex.
Return to Croucher Home Page.
