Leah Huse

Leah Huse, 94, of Sun City, Arizona died August 7, 2025, in Surprise, Arizona. She was born January 31, 1931, to Rudolph Janke and Lydia (Schlecht) Janke in Gackle, North Dakota. Leah was raised on her family farm in North Dakota with her eight siblings. She was raised speaking German and English. She retained her German throughout her life and was still able to speak it in recent weeks. A phone call with a sibling usually did not pass without hearing something in German and laughter ensuing. After Leah left North Dakota, she lived in Washington and California and started her family with the arrivals of Carding, Donnie, and Susan Navidad. Her life journey continued when she met Kaare Huse, and they were married in September 1956. Through Kaare’s service in the United States Air Force, their travels took them to Spain where they were stationed for a year. They returned to the states and were stationed in South Carolina where Linda was born. They lived briefly in Florida before permanently settling in Waukesha, Wisconsin where Vicki was born. Throughout her life, Leah enjoyed hobbies of sewing, gardening, quilting, and traveling. She also attended church and volunteered her time at Christ the Servant Church. She always had a love for animals. Buttons, Koko, and Cheyenne were her shadows. She also fostered many cats and kittens from the Humane Society. In 2018, she relocated to Sun City, Arizona where she quickly made friends with neighbors and church members at Church of the Palms where she remained active making quilts for charities. Leah was preceded in death by her parents, Rudolph and Lydia Janke, her husband, Kaare (Hank) Huse, and siblings, Ruth McCurdy, Edna Pementil, Annetta Grad, Ruby Scoviak, and Alden Janke. She is survived her daughters, Susan Wells, Linda Huse, and Vicki Huse, sons, Carding Navidad and Donnie Navidad, sisters, Velda Lee and Virginia Kotz, brother, Harold Janke, and numerous nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. Leah will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by her family and friends. Burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date.

Leah Huse

January 31, 1931 - August 7, 2025