Douglas Dale Kruse (70 years old) entered into eternal rest at the conclusion of his favorite song on September 15th, 2023. He was at home, while surrounded by his family & loving comfort.
He was born December 3, 1952, to Jurgen and Florence (Rodick) Kruse. He was baptized & confirmed at St. Peters Lutheran Church, Barnes, KS. In 1970, he graduated from Linn Rural High School as the Salutatorian of his class. Doug was known for being ornery and often found to be guilty of having a good time. He graduated from Kansas State University in 1974, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Engineering. It was also 1974, when he married the girl of his dreams and his now wife of 49 years, Monica Hogan. They raised two sons, Landon and Kellen.
Doug was born to weld & started mastering his craft when his dad let him build a custom mailbox for their family in 5th grade. That mailbox is still in use, as are most things Doug built throughout his life. He owned & operated Custom Welding & Supply in Barnes, KS for twenty years while he and Monica raised their family. He loved the challenges brought through the driveway of his shop in Barnes from the farming community that supported his business. He had an unbelievable knack for solving problems & doing so with his welding helmet on. He worked hard & deeply valued the relationships with those he saw as family in the Barnes community. It was during this time that he loved mentoring the developing minds of his ballplayers in coach pitch & pee wee baseball, coaching for nine years. He coached players from Greenleaf, Barnes, Linn and Washington, helping them to do their best. Come game time, he always had a rule book in his back pocket and loved encouraging kids to visualize their success on the field. He cared about each & every player & coach he worked with & loved winning a championship with them.
He next worked for Linn Enterprises as an engineer for seven years & greatly enjoyed his time spent there in Linn. He later retired from Hutchinson-Mayrath in 2020, after working over 15 years as a Senior Engineer in Research & Development, in Clay Center. He loved designing equipment for both of these companies and appreciated the trust & creative license given him to fabricate and improve upon function for everything from a cattle chute to commercial grain moving equipment.
Doug loved deer hunting, dove hunting, fishing & just being out in the great outdoors. He patiently shared this passion with his boys and close friends. He enjoyed all time spent on his farms. He loved caring for his cows and rose to the challenge of each haying season, with expertise in keeping his unconventional equipment rolling like a well-oiled machine. Doug was one of a kind. He wasn’t always the easiest to approach, but those who rose to the challenge found a curious, good-hearted man with a quick wit and fun sense of humor. He believed you should have a reason for everything you do and lived his life by this mantra. He had deep faith in God and the sacrifice that Jesus made for all of humanity. His opinions were not easily swayed, but he welcomed debate on any topic he found of interest. He never shied away from a challenge and had the ability to fix anything he had time enough to study out. He enjoyed harmony in music and in general. He found balance in life & took the time to appreciate it. He loved fiercely and allowed no short cuts when it came to learning the life lessons he valued. He thoroughly enjoyed a cold beer under his favorite shade tree in the “circle of trust” with his wife, & his boys if they happened to be in Palmer. Doug was a loving husband, mentor & the best dad. He will be truly missed.
Preceding him in death were his parents, Jurgen and Florence, an infant brother Roger, brothers-in-law Michael Hogan and Merlin Rogers, and a niece Molly Hammer. Survivors include his wife Monica; children Landon Kruse of Shawnee, KS and Kellen (Chelsea) of Los Angeles, CA; brother Galen (Judy) Kruse; nephews Daniel, Jason and Jeremy Kruse and niece Christine (Stephen) Thompson; Sisters-in-law Marcia (Howard) Brun, Aggie (Gary) Sullivan, Johanna Rogers, Maureen (Norman) Stigge, Loretta (Eddie) Rahe, Theresa (Craig) Cox, Ursula (Lynn) Hewitt; Brothers-in-law Kevin (Debbie) Hogan, John (DeDe) Hogan and Stephen (Tina) Hogan and a multitude of nieces and nephews on Monica’s side of the family.
The Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Greenleaf, KS. Lunch and fellowship with friends and family will follow at the Greenleaf Club House.
Memorials are suggested to either the Linn EMS or Meadowlark Hospice and may be sent in care of Christie-Anderes Funeral Home at PO Box 61, Waterville, KS 66548.