Ida Amelia (Graf) Kruwell (1875-1940)

GRAF, KRUWELL, HURLESS

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 3/13/2014 at 22:38:15

From Nevada Evening Journal February 3, 1940

Sudden Death at Vinton of Mrs. Ida Kruwell

Mrs. Ida Kruwell, 64, mother of Harold G. Kruwell of 1012 Tenth street, Nevada, died very suddenly at her home at Vinton, Saturday* evening about 6:30, from a heart attack.

The body was brought to Nevada immediately and the funeral rites will be held Wednesday at 2 p. m. at the Methodist church, with the pastor Dr. C. E. Loose in charge. Burial will be by the side of the husband in the Nevada cemetery.

The sermon will be practiced by Dr. H. R. Hutchinson of Sioux City, a former district superintendent and very close friend of the family.

The death of Mrs. Kruwell, wife of the late Rev. F. L. Kruwell who died at Kamrar, November 12, 1935, was very sudden.

She had been making her home with a sister, Mrs. E. H. Hurless, at Vinton for some time. During the winter she had been working upon a quilt for her little granddaughter, Karen Kay Kruwell, and on Saturday a group of women friends had been in for a quilting. In the evening after she and Mrs. Hurless spoke of being weary from the continuous work. Picking up a Sunday school paper, she lay down upon a couch across from the sister and turned to the lesson for the next day. Shortly afterwards the sister heard slight gasps and going to the sister, found that she had passed away.

Mrs. Kruwell, who is known to Nevada people through her frequent visits here at the home of her son, Harold and wife, was born Ida Amelia Graf, near Loudenville, Ohio, April 3, 1875. When she was a child of two years the parents moved to Spraytown, Indiana, where she grew to young womanhood.

She was converted in early life and united with the Methodist church. On August 24, 1893, she was united in marriage to Frank Louis Kruwell and they established their home in Seymour, Ind. Three sons were born to this union, they being Harold Graf Kruwell of Nevada, Glen Francis Kruwell of Algona, and Lynn Leroy Kruwell of Rock Rapids.

In 1905 the husband entered Taylor University to prepare for the ministry. Mrs. Kruwell was happy as a students wife and the privileges it offered. After the husband had been ordained they moved to northwest Iowa in 1911 and there they labored for many years in the work of the Northwest Iowa conference, Rev. Kruwell holding numerous pastorates until his death, November 12, 1935, whole they were located at Kamrar.

She leaves, besides the three sons, the granddaughter Karen Kay, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Kruwell, and the sister, Mrs. Minnie Hurless, of Vinton.

Following the death of Rev. Kruwell, she spent some months in the homes of her sons, after which she located at Vinton and established her home with her sister and family. During the past week she had been making preparations fro a visit with the family of her son, Lynn, and it was this that caused her haste in finishing the quilt for the granddaughter, which proved to be her last work for her beloved family.

Mrs. Kruwell had loved the parsonage life and was an ever helpful mate to her minister husband. Always active in the work of the church, she was especially interested in the missionary work and for 12 years had been conference secretary of the junior work in the Women's Foreign Missionary society.

She was a woman much beloved by her family and a wide circle of friends she had acquired during her long years of church and community service.

*SUBMITTER'S NOTE: Ida Amelia (Graf) Kruwell died on 2 February 1940.