Edna V. (Berghefer) KROEGER

KROEGER, JACOBS, BERGHEFER, TRAEGER, HALSNE, STILLE, BEENEN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/4/2006 at 19:13:33

Edna V. Kroeger, 93, of Belmond, passed away Saturday (Aug. 20, 2005) at her home in Belmond. Memorial services for Edna Kroeger will be held at 7 p.m. today at the Dugger Ewing Funeral Home 111 Luick's Lane S. in Belmond, with Pastor Janet Wearda officiating. Burial will be in the Belmond Cemetery. Friends may greet the family one hour prior to services today at the funeral home. Memorial may be directed to the Belmond Ambulance, Wright County Hospice or the Belmond United Methodist Church.

Edna, the daughter of John A. and Augusta Jacobs Berghefer, was born six miles east of Belmond, on Aug. 12, 1912. Edna attended school in Garner and Belmond, graduating with the class of 1930 in Belmond. Edna took Normal Training in high school and taught two years in Crawford County where she met and married Peter Kroeger. They farmed and worked for farmers in Charter Oak and later near Belmond. When World War II broke out, Peter enlisted and Edna was asked to teach in a country school close to Belmond, where she taught for two years. She later moved to Omaha and went to work for Western Electric making communication field equipment until a year later when she was called to teach in a country school east of Rockwell where she remained until Pete was discharged. At that time they farmed near Meservey until the Korean War, when Peter once again enlisted. At this time Edna was called to teach second grade at the Meservey School. At the end of the school year and the following year she attended Iowa State Teachers College until Pete was discharged. Edna went back to teaching at Clear Lake for a year and then retired. However, she went back to school and taught the last 20 years of her 30-year teaching career in Waterloo. After retiring, she and Pete traveled south to Texas, Arizona, and Florida. She dearly loved traveling by camper from historical places to other well known places in our country. They met many new friends and enjoyed the many activities associated with winter vacations. She enjoyed various crafts and was an avid reader. Edna belonged to Kappa Phi Sorority while at the University of Northern Iowa and participated in golf, tennis, and swimming. She was a member of the American Legion Auxilary, Veteran of Foreign Wars Auxilary, Retired Teachers Association, United Methodist Church and one of its circles, UNI Alumni Association, League of Women Voters, and a Country Friendly Neighbor's Club. Edna and Pete had one daughter and eight grandchildren who she loved dearly. She was so proud of her 14 great-grandchildren as well as four great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by numerous special nieces and nephews, especially Cyndy and Sheila.

Her grandchildren include Keith (Karen) Traeger of Eagle Grove; James (Elizabeth) Traeger of Grundy Center; Kathryn Quam of Thornton; Larry (Deb) Traeger of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; Kevin Traeger of Eagle Grove; Craig (Dawn) Traeger of Renwick; Lorie (Richard) Halsne of Thornton; Christa Traeger of Alexandria, Va.; two sisters, Ina Stille of Garner and Garnet Beenen of Newton.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Peter, in 1995; daughter, Donna, in 1999; son-in-law, Carl in 2000; granddaughter, Debra; two sisters, Lola and Doris, and her brother, Boyd. Dugger Ewing Funeral Home, (641) 444-3248.

Mason City Globe Gazette
23 August 2005