Meet Linda Claffey

Linda and Steve Claffey met on a blind date. She was a student at DePauw University and he was a student at Wabash College. It was love at first sight and they married while still in college. After graduation they moved to St. Louis where Steve attended law school at Washington University. They then moved to Indianapolis where Steve practiced law and Linda sold real estate.

While searching for a church home, Linda's good friend, Barbara Porter, suggested they check out St. Luke's United Methodist Church. They did, and immediately felt at home. They joined the church in 1975 and shortly thereafter LInda joined New Song, a recently formed women's choir at the church. She has been a part of New Song ever since. . She also joined the chancel choir, and in 1997 Steve joined the choir as well. The choir became one of their favorite activities together, and they especially enjoyed going on several choir trips. Steve eventually became president of the choir.

Linda commented, "If you want to meet people, join a small group." That is exactly what they did. Linda coordinated the Sunday School program for several years, and she served on the Staff Parish Relations Committee and the Board of Trustees. Steve was just as involved, always serving on some committee. They also raised their three children--Rebecca, Sarah, and Jonathan--at St. Luke's.

Linda noticed that many churches had food pantries and St. Luke's did not, and so she set out to do something about it. She and a couple of others in the church began searching for a place to have a food pantry, and they finally found a home for the pantry at the Pecar Eskenazi clinic. Steve helped in the founding of the Crooked Creek Pantry and did the legal work to get it established. Linda and Steve both gave heart and soul to the food pantry. When Steve retired, he took over as director of the pantry and tripled its size.

Sadly, Steve passed away in January 2023. Linda continues her work with the Crooked Creek Pantry, scheduling all the food pick-ups from various grocery stores. The food pantry has become one of the important ministries of St. Luke's, helping to fight food insecurity in northwest Indianapolis and support the needs of families and persons it serves.

Steve's legacy lives on through Crooked Creek Pantry and its commitment to eliminate hunger while showing God's love to the people it serves. Steve and Linda's legacy will also live on through the planned gift commitment they have made to St. Luke's. When asked what prompted them to include S. Luke's in their estate plans, Linda replied, "I love this church. It means so much to me. I love its mission, its acceptance of all people, its emphasis on a God of love. Next to my family, this is my life."

And indeed it is. In addition to her volunteer work at Crooked Creek Food Pantry, Linda continues to sing in New Song and the chancel choir and is currently involved in three book study groups at the church. St. Luke's gives her life meaning and purpose.

St. Luke's is grateful for the many ways Linda and Steve have shared their time, talents, and treasure since joining the church in 1975 and for their thoughtful estate planning so that the church will continue to spread the love of God well into the future. The church is pleased to recognize them as members of St. Luke's Legacy Society. If you would like more information on how you too can become a member of St. Luke's Legacy Society, contact David Heetland, pastor of planned giving, at [email protected] or 317.399.6202.