Dean J. Kruse

Mass of Christian Burial for Dean J. Kruse, age 92, of Norfolk, Nebraska, will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 17, 2025, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Norfolk. Reverend Vincent Germace will be the celebrant. Interment will be in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Norfolk, with military honors conducted by United States Air Force Honor Guard, American Legion Post 16, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1644. 

Visitation will be Sunday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., with a 5:00 p.m. Vigil Service at the church. 

Home for Funerals in Norfolk is in charge of arrangements.

Dean passed away Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk. 

Dean Joseph Kruse was born on December 4, 1932, in Humphrey, Nebraska. He was the third of six children born to Florence and Augusta Kruse. Dean graduated from Humphrey Saint Francis High School in 1950. After leaving home, Dean served his country in the United States Air Force from 1950 to 1954.

After being honorably discharged from the USAF, Dean moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and shortly thereafter met Caroline Soukup, and the couple married in 1959. Through this union six children were born, Mark, Jean, Theresa, Jim, David, and Dan.

After several employment opportunities in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, the Kruse family settled in Norfolk, Nebraska in 1967 where Dean worked for Midland National Life Insurance Company until he retired.

Dean greatly enjoyed attending his children’s high school sporting events and was known to keep his own tally of points scored by his kids. He always kept M&M’s handy for his grandkids, and all the kids have fond memories of their grandpa.

Dean loved watching all types of sporting events, especially the Nebraska Huskers and Creighton Bluejays. In his later years, Dean always kept a TV schedule of upcoming game broadcasts within arms-reach and looked forward to each event.

In his younger years, Dean also enjoyed hunting and fishing, and told stories of shooting geese near Matagorda Island, Texas, and he loved “road-hunting” for pheasants in the 70’s, often taking the backroads home from business appointments in hopes of shooting a rooster.

Through hard times, Dean was very good at providing and managing the family finances and purchased everything with cash. He even managed to purchase used vehicles for all of his children, which at one time included five teenagers at the same time.

In 1975, Dean and Carol purchased a family cabin at Hidden Paradise in Long Pine, Nebraska. This cabin has turned out to be an amazing place for family bonding, reunions, and a lifetime of memories for family members and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Florence and Augusta (Schumacher) Kruse; and his siblings, Dolores Johnson, Duane Kruse, Doris Preister, Darlene Herchenbach, and Darrel Kruse.

Dean is survived by his wife, Carol; six children, Mark Kruse (Karol Powell) of Austin, TX, Jean Drake (Mike) of Norfolk, NE, Theresa Horton (Jeff) of Lincoln, NE, Jim Kruse of Norfolk, NE, David Kruse (Jennifer) of Norfolk, NE, and Dan Kruse (Sandy) of Wheaton, IL; 16 grandchildren, Bryan, Levi, Laura, Kalen, Conor, Kaylor, Braydi, Nathaniel, Jackson, Isaak, Hudson, Gabriel, Olivia, Joseph, Joshua, and Caleb; as well as 11 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to any Catholic charities, or any other charity of your choice.

Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.homeforfuneralsinc.com.

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