Remembering Claus
by Lisa Hollis
"Celebration of the life
of Claus Emanuel Sadlier, Jr.,
and his entrance into God’s eternal life in love."
-from the funeral Mass program
March 15, 2002
Claus Emanuel Sadlier, Jr. 1926 - 2002
How does one begin to recall the life of a Renaissance man, musician, educator, family man? Few members of the Deutsches Haus can say that they have not met or spoken with Claus at some point over the years, but Claus’ many contributions to the Haus are so numerous I fear that I may overlook a few. If he were here with us, I would have to say, "Claus, I can only attempt to do your life and your service justice." Claus and his wife, Eva-Maria, joined the Haus in 1984, and Eva said that he immediately felt at ease. The Deutsches Haus quickly became a place for Claus to "hang out and enjoy himself; the camaraderie was very important to him." Because of Claus’ vocation as a musician and humanities professor at Delgado Community College, it was only natural that he step into the role of arranging the entertainment at the Haus, a task he enjoyed tremendously according to Eva. Claus’ work booking musical and dance acts at the Haus soon extended to managing publicity for the Haus through press releases, advertisements and flyers, and editing the Monatsblatt, a role he assumed in 1988. And of course, few could forget Claus’ duties as a long-time board member of the Haus, his leadership of the Dixie Hofkapelle German Band, or his work as director of the Damenchor and Saengerchor at the Haus. Long-time Haus member and historian Col. Richard Kuntz once said that Claus took the Monatsblatt to a new level, and few could argue with that statement. Claus took the time to personalize each issue, filling it with photos and labeling each with the persons’ names, injecting humor and his extensive knowledge of humanities into the stories. Claus raised the standard of the Monatsblatt from a simple, one or two page bulletin to a full-fledged newspaper which is eagerly awaited by members each month. The current staff of the Monatsblatt can only aspire to Claus’ achievements with this publication. Claus’ service at the Deutsches Haus and Delgado were preceded by his years as a U.S. Navy veteran in World War II, and his work as a teacher of English and music at a U.S. military installation in Morocco, and as band director at Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL. An accomplished musician who played the French horn and tuba, Claus also performed with the New Orleans Opera and the American Legion Band in New Orleans, and served as a musician and board member with the New Orleans Summer Pops orchestra for many years. When I spoke with Eva concerning Claus’ dedication to the Deutsches Haus and to his students at Delgado, she said that he never boasted about helping others, but it is clear that he touched many lives. He enjoyed "helping to create something," Eva said. At the Deutsches Haus, Eva said that Claus often served as a peacemaker, bringing people together when there were differences of opinion. For his students at Delgado, he was a friend and a teacher, often bringing an extra lunch for a student in need, driving to the housing projects to pick up students for band concerts and other events, even bailing students out of jail, in particular one student who found himself in jail during the Christmas holidays. Eva said that Claus was certainly talented enough to teach at schools other than Delgado, and his sister, Sister Angèle Marie Sadlier, O.Carm., once asked him why he remained at the small community college. He replied, "They need me there more than anyone else does." Perhaps that is why Claus loved the Haus so
much, because we needed him, his many talents and kindness and love of all things German.
Claus, you will be missed and needed more than you could know in the years ahead as we all
strive to fill your shoes. Rest im Frieden, Claus. Auf Wiedersehen from your
grateful friends at the Deutsches Haus. |
