Obituary of Mary Lou Kruse

Mary Lou Kruse, 65, of Dyersville, Iowa died Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at her home after a courageous battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.

Visitation will be held from 2 – 8 p.m. Thursday, May 11, 2017, at Kramer Funeral Home, 750 12th Ave SW in Dyersville where a parish vigil service will be held at 2 pm.  Visitation will continue Friday from 9 – 10 am at Kramer Funeral Home prior to funeral services.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 12, 2017, St. Francis Xavier Basilica in Dyersville with burial in the church cemetery.  Rev. Phil Kruse will officiate.

Mary was born July 15, 1951, in Dubuque, Iowa the daughter of Clement and Leona (Arens) Demmer.  She graduated from Beckman Catholic High School with the Class of 1969, and began working at American Trust Bank in Dyersville.  She married Ronald L. Kruse on Nov. 13, 1971, in Dyersville, Iowa.  Together they farmed and milked cows near New Vienna and Dyersville while they raised their family.  She later worked for Beckman High School and went on to work for TOMY for 14 years until retiring in 2013, to spend more time with her family and especially grandchildren.

Mary and Ron were a St. Francis Xavier General Chair Couple and a Marriage Sponsor Couple.  They were also members of the Beckman Booster Club Board, and Mary was a youth league softball coach.  She enjoyed biking, gardening, dancing, golfing, Monday Night Volleyball, other sports and especially being a mom and grandma.  She enjoyed baking and cooking for her family to keep the “treat drawer” full.

Survivors include her husband of 45 years, Ron, children: Michelle (Troy) Deutmeyer of Dyersville, Craig (Heather) Kruse of Phoenix, AZ, Kim (Ben) Page of Des Moines, IA, Ted (Terese) Kruse of Dyersville, Tony (Melissa) Kruse of Johnston, IA., 12 grandchildren: Shawn Deutmeyer, Olivia and Lila Kruse, Sophie and Bryce Page, Maria, Luke, Theo and Micah Kruse, Grady, Beckett and Maddox Kruse, siblings: Donald (Nancy) Demmer of Dyersville, David (Betty) Demmer of Farley and Merlin (Becky) of Dyersville, Robert (Sharon) Demmer of Dundee, Doris Weber (friend Bruce Johnson) of Sun City, AZ; in-laws: Henry (Doris) Kruse of New Vienna and Rose Mary Kruse of Bankston.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother Marvin Demmer, and in-laws: Daniel, Robert, Richard, David Kruse.

Memorials are preferred to St. Francis Xavier School or Beckman Catholic High School.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.kramerfuneral.com.