Joan F. Kruse, 90, of Goose Lake passed away Monday, November 4, 2024 at Bickford Cottage in Clinton. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Preston. Visitation will be from 9:00 AM until the service time Tuesday at the church. Burial will be at Center Grove Cemetery. Casket bearers will be her grandchildren. The Pape Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Joan was born in Clinton on April 23, 1934, the daughter of Earl B. and Fleda (Carstensen) Kelly. She graduated from Preston High School. A lifelong member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, she met her husband, Wally Kruse, at Luther League at the church. They were married on January 16, 1955 at St. John’s and celebrated 67 years of marriage. Wally passed away on December 19, 2022. Joan had been employed at the Preston Locker before marrying and worked at Community Care in Charlotte as a cook for several years. She loved being a homemaker, and farmed with Wally in rural Goose Lake. Joan kept an immaculate house, cooked fabulous meals every day, besides helping outside. She would take care of the baby calves, the farrowing of baby pigs, gathering eggs, and was a big part of planting and harvesting crops. Joan was a true farm wife and the loving matriarch of our family.
Joan was a 4-H leader with the Goose Lake 136 4-H Club. She would sew her girls’ new, special Palm Sunday and Easter dresses every year, along with making most of the clothes for the girls. As an avid quilter, she met with the Quilting Circle at St. John’s for many years. She enjoyed baking and would bake and decorate cakes for every grandchild’s birthday. She enjoyed both her flower and vegetable gardens and had saved Zinnia seeds from her own mother to replant for years and years. Joan loved being outdoors, especially mowing the lawn in the precise way she wanted. Joan and Wally loved their farm dogs and they enjoyed sitting on the porch with them in the summertime evenings, “splitting” one beer.
Joan is survived by 4 daughters; Barb (Todd) Randolph of Goose Lake, Lynn (Joe) Manning of Bondurant, IA, Kelly (Dale) Gluesing of Goose Lake, and Julie (Scott) Haferbier of Charlotte; 11 grandchildren, Jessica (Sam) Howard, Daniel (Laurel) Randolph, Emily (Louie) Vogt, Nicole (Andrew Kettle) McGarry, Becky (Nate) Schoenle, Joshua (Anna) McGarry, Sara (Brent) Caven, Joelle (Cory) Petersen, Alec Gluesing, Mitchell Haferbier, and Matthew (Courtney) Haferbier, and 18 great grandchildren: Clayton, Connor, Aden, Brandon, Sean, Joana, Carter, Cullen, Eleanor, Zoe, Mya, Ava, Rowan, Clint, Kara, Jace, Reece, and Cael, and another coming soon. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and 2 brothers, Wayne and Glen Kelly. Memorials may be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church or the family. Online condolences may be left at www.papefh.com
