KRUSE, Cornelius H. 1898-1980

KRUSE, KURTZLEBEN

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 2/24/2019 at 17:38:14

Cornelius H. Kruse

Cornelius H. Kruse was born in German Township, Grundy County, Iowa, the son of Haje and Henrietta Kurtzleben Kruse. He died on November 23, at Schoitz Memorial Hospital of Waterloo. He reached the age of 82 years and 17 days.

Mr. Kruse was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Albert, Harm and Jake. He is survived by his brother, Thomas H. Kruse of Ackley; three sisters, Mrs. Ella Miller of Wellsburg, Mrs. Stena Jaspers of rural Steamboat Rock and Mrs. James Ruter of Ackley; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Ella Kruse of Bridgewater, S. Dak., and by his friend, Mrs. Hannah Oelmann of Waterloo.

Mr. Kruse attended the University of Dubuque for two years and then went on for a year at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Ind. He was a friend of Charles Lindbergh who sent him a card on his safe arrival at Orly field following the historic first flight across the Atlantic. Mr. Kruse was also associated with Lindbergh in one of the early commercial uses of aviation when the airplane was first used for the U.S. mail.

To today's farmer, the soy bean is a way of life, but they were an unknown in Iowa when Mr. Kruse first brought them across the river from Illinois and planted them in an 80 acre field in Pleasant Valley Township of Grundy County. As we all now know they have flourished in Iowa just as they did in his Pleasant Valley field.

Mr. Kruse worked for John Deere for 23 years and then spent 12 years of his retirement in Waterloo.

Funeral services were conducted Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 1:30 p.m. at the East Friesland Presbyterian Church of Ackley with Rev. David V. Dupee officiating. Interment was in the church cemetery. The Brandt-Fritz Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

--Ackley World-Journal (Ackley, Iowa), 27 November 1980, pg 7