Luvern Kruse

LUVERN EDWARD KRUSE was born to George and Esther (Fennern) Kruse on February 10, 1931 in Willow Lake Township of Redwood County, Minnesota. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Willow Lake Township. He attended school in Wabasso, Minnesota. After his high school graduation in 1949, he was drafted into the United States Army where he fought on the front lines of the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge from the service in 1951, he returned to the family farm inWillow Lake Township. On May 7, 1957, he was united in marriage to Esther Matzke at Zion Lutheran Church in Lamberton, Minnesota. They began their married life in Redwood Falls, Minnesota where Luvern worked as a mechanic at Larson Brother’s Autos. They moved to Wanda, Minnesota in 1958, and he worked at the Ford Implement there. In 1960, he moved his family to Jeffers, Minnesota where he began working at Saaduff John Deere Implement. He continued to work there until 1964 when he became employed for Gordon Arndt/Jack Farrell IH Implement in Pipestone, Minnesota. After two years in Pipestone, he accepted a head mechanic position with Maynard IH Implement in Plankinton, South Dakota. In 1968, Jack Farrell IH Implement in Pipestone offered him the head mechanic/parts manager position. He remained in this position until his retirement in 1997. On April 6, 2011, Vern was admitted to the Pipestone County Medical Center where he died on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, at the age of 80 years, two months and three days.

Luvern instilled his Christian faith into his children by being an active member of each congregation where they lived. He held offices in each of these congregations as a trustee, elder, custodian, Sunday School superintendent and teacher. He was currently a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pipestone. He was a past member of the Michael Boock American Legion Post 6 and the VFW Post 3814. He enjoyed playing softball for many years on the church league in Wanda, Minnesota. He shared his love of dancing by teaching his six children ballroom dancing, especially the polka. For 30 years, Luvern bowled in two leagues where he earned many top league scores and participated in many state bowling tournaments. He was an avid basketball fan of Lynn and Brian’s basketball careers. He also enjoyed playing cards with his uncles, brothers, and family in general.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife of 54 years, Esther Kruse of Pipestone, Minnesota; his five children, Duane Kruse and his wife Pam of Pipestone, Minnesota, Jill Whipple and her husband Dick of Pipestone, Minnesota, Brian Kruse and his wife Jill of Ellsworth, Minnesota, Lynn Ross and her husband Dave of Farmington, Minnesota, and Kevin Kruse and his wife Kelly of Rochester, Minnesota; his son-in-law, Chuck Jensen of Vergas, Minnesota; 15 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; one sister, Irma Bierman and her husband Wallace of Jeffers, Minnesota; and three brothers, Louis Kruse of Winsted, Minnesota, Herb Kruse and his wife Arlene of Hutchinson, Minnesota, and Delbert Kruse and his wife Geri of Stillwater, Minnesota. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Sharon Jensen; his parents; brother, Alvin; and an infant brother.