Estelle Marie (nee Werner) Kraus Salisbury, 98 years of St. Leon, IN passed away on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. She was born on March 15, 1928 to George Edward and Loretta Mathilda (nee Maucher) Werner in St. Leon. In 1949 she married Victor Kraus and to them were born five children, Jeanette, David, Betty, Martin, and Rosemary. In 1989, she remarried to Ross Salisbury. She was a devoted wife, mother, sister, and grandmother.
Estelle continued her education earning 100% on her GED. She went back to school and obtained her nursing license, becoming an LPN, and was employed by Margaret Mary Hospital. She then went on to earn her certification as a counselor. She became a counselor at Koala and moved on to Fairbanks Hospital in Indianapolis as a supervisor and coordinator of their Women’s Program. In 1995 she was honored to receive the Counselor of the Year by the Indiana ICAADA Counselor’s Association. After retirement she volunteered at St. Vincent Hospice and The Little Sisters of the Poor until she moved back home to St. Leon to be with her family.
Estelle’s greatest joy was to spend time with her children and grandchildren. She loved to cook for the family’s get-togethers, holidays and celebrations. Estelle loved the outdoors, gardening, and growing flowers. She was an avid reader, enjoyed dogs, watching birds, and traveling. Estelle was an active member of All Saints Parish and the Ladies Sodality. She was a member of Senior Citizens.
Estelle will be deeply missed by her children Jeanette Kraus, David Kraus, Elizabeth (James) Goldsmith, Martin (Connie) Kraus, and Rosemary (Mark) Lunsford; grandchildren Jeffery Kraus, Jennifer Gowdy, Brian (Trisha) Goldsmith, Jessica (Cory) John, Jason (Diana) Kraus, Joshua (Rachel) Hornberger, Jacob (Katie) Hornberger, Matthew Hornberger; 16 great grandchildren; siblings Omer (Frances) Werner, Lonnie (Shirley) Werner and many nieces and nephews. She was especially close to her niece Joyce Hansell, who befriended her so often. She is preceded in death by her parents George and Loretta Werner, first husband Victor Kraus, second husband Ross Salisbury; and siblings Kenneth Werner, Dorothy Werner, Ardwin Werner, Lawrence Werner, Cletus Werner, Raymond Werner, Mary Cecile Maune, Doris Burdette, Bernice Abrams.
Services honoring Estelle will be held on Monday, October 12. Visitation will be held from 9:30am – 11:30am at Andres-Wuestefeld Funeral Home in Dover. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 12:00pm at St. Joseph’s Campus of All Saints Parish. Burial will immediately follow in the church cemetery. For those unable to attend, Mass will be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/user/aspweeklyhomily. Memorials in Estelle’s honor can be made to Masses at St. Louis in Batesville or St. Maurice in Napoleon, or to PAWS of Dearborn County. Memorials will be accepted at the visitation or can be mailed to the funeral home. Family and friends are encouraged to leave condolences at www.andres-wuestefeldfh.com