Michael ''Mike'' R. Kruse

Michael Kruse MUSCATINE, Iowa #45;-Firefighter Michael 'Mike' R. Kruse, 53, 324 Fletcher Ave., Muscatine, died Saturday, Sept. 14, 2002, while serving his community fighting a fire. A Public, Community and Fireman Memorial Service will be held 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Muscatine High School Gym. Services are 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Geo. M. Wittich-Lewis Funeral Home. Pallbearers are Joe Timmson, John Shyrock, June Ann Gaeta, Daryl Jannssen, Mike Collins, Dave Courtois and Kevin Cannon. Honorary pallbearers are the members of the Muscatine Fire Department. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery with military rites conducted by the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. There will be no visitation. A memorial has been established at the funeral home. Mr. Kruse was born on Sept. 30, 1948, in the Bellevue Hospital, Muscatine, the son of Richard John and Kathryn VanDyke Kruse. He graduated from Muscatine High School and Muscatine Community College. He was an U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He was employed by the City of Muscatine for 27 years at the Muscatine Fire Department and also by J S Fire Inc. for five years. He enjoyed playing basketbal...[more]

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or the Special Education Olympics; held the boot for Muscular Dystrophy; and ran in the Bix. Survivors include his mother, Kathryn Kruse of Muscatine; a son, Matt Kruse of Iowa City; a daughter, Laurie Tkaczyk and her husband, Roger, and their son, Michael, of Germany; a special bonded friend, Noni Axel; five brothers, Robert Kruse, Randy Kruse, Carl Kruse and friend Rosa, Leslie Kruse and Rick Kruse, all of Muscatine; four sisters, Bonnie Kruse, Peggy Willet and her husband, Bill, Emma Nesbit and Patricia S. Munson, all of Muscatine; an aunt and uncle, Marvin and Margaret Kruse; a sister-in-law, Becky Boulton; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father; Grandmother and Grandfather Kruse; uncles, William and Raymond Kruse; and a sister-in-law, Margaret McGourty.