Linda L. von Clausburg

Linda Lee von Clausburg, 78, of Noblesville, Indiana, passed away on September 14, 2026, after a battle with peritoneal mesothelioma, with her two children by her side.

Born Linda Lee Waling on November 9, 1947, in Lafayette, Indiana, Linda grew up in West Lafayette in a family whose ties to Purdue University ran deep. Her parents, Dr. Joseph L. Waling and Mary “Isabel” Waling, both worked at Purdue, and Linda and each of her three siblings would eventually attend the university. Linda was especially proud of her father and his distinguished career at Purdue, where he was a longtime professor of civil engineering and later Associate Dean of the Graduate School.

Linda attended West Lafayette High School, where she was homecoming queen and discovered a love of cheerleading that would become an important part of her young life.

At Purdue, Linda found a place where she truly shined. A member of Kappa Alpha Theta and a Purdue cheerleader during an exciting era in Boilermaker athletics, she cheered before packed stadiums and arenas. A photograph of Linda performing a cheerleading stunt in 1968 was published in Sports Illustrated—an accomplishment she remained especially proud of throughout her life.

Linda graduated from Purdue in 1969. It was also at Purdue that she met her first husband, Jack Pfunder, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. The couple married and moved to Dallas, Texas, where Linda taught at The Lamplighter School and later worked as a buyer for Neiman Marcus. Their daughter, Christa, was born in Dallas, and after returning to West Lafayette, they welcomed their son, Dan.

In 1984, Linda married Howard von Clausburg. Together they raised Christa and Dan in Centerville, Ohio, where Linda became an enthusiastic drill-team mom to Christa and band mom to Dan. It was during this phase of her life that Linda worked as a department store manager and an office manager for a dental practice. Linda and Howard retired in Phoenix, Arizona, before eventually returning to her Indiana roots and settling in Noblesville. They shared 42 years of marriage, and even as her own health declined, Linda continued caring for Howard and remained by his side.

Through the years, one constant in Linda’s life was the importance of family. When her children were growing up, Christmas and the Fourth of July meant traveling from Centerville to West Lafayette to gather with the Waling family at her parents’ home. Those holidays were not optional in Linda’s mind. Family was going to be together, and she made sure they were. Perhaps that devotion reflected Linda’s own childhood. Some of her earliest family memories were of camping trips with her parents, sister and brothers. Although her siblings fondly remember these camping adventures, Linda didn’t share the enthusiasm for the outdoors. Christa shares her mom’s sentiments on camping.

Linda is survived by her husband of 42 years, Howard von Clausburg; her daughter, Christa Pfunder Blumenshine; her son, Dan Pfunder; her stepsons, Terry von Clausburg, Scott von Clausburg and David von Clausburg; her sister, Isabel “Sue” Waling; her brother, Steve Waling; 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, with another great-grandchild expected. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Joseph L. Waling and Mary “Isabel” Waling, and her brother, Stan Waling.

In accordance with Linda’s wishes, there will be no formal funeral service. In the spring of 2027, she will be laid to rest beside her parents and brother at Riverside Cemetery in Brook, Indiana. For those wishing to honor Linda’s memory, the family suggests a contribution to Purdue For Life Foundation as a 'Gift in Memory of Linda L. von Clausburg', a place woven throughout Linda’s life and the history of the Waling family. Gifts in Memory and Honor - Purdue for Life Foundation..