Adelaide Marie "Ada" Kruse, age 88, passed away on October 19, 2014, at the Citizens Medical Center in Colby.

She was born on May 6, 1926, at home in Gove County to James Martin "Jake" and Martha Cecilia (Depperschmidt) Zerr. She grew up on a farm south of Grinnell. She attended a country school and Grinnell High School, earning a GED diploma in her early 50's. She moved to Garden City for a short time, where she worked as a waitress before returning to Oakley.

On April 22, 1946, she married Roman Arthur "Sam" Kruse in Oakley. They lived in Abilene and Hoisington, moving with the seismograph company that Sam worked for.

In 1950 they moved back to Oakley where she lived until 2001, when she moved to Colby to live with her daughter, Izetta Rummel and husband Wes.

A homemaker until her children were in school, she then worked in local businesses as a housekeeper and restaurant waitress. In the mid '60's and early '70's, they ran a family-owned service station, retiring at age 74.

She excelled in figure-ice skating as a young woman, enjoyed dancing, pool, playing cards, embroidery, gardening (her love was flowers), bingo and children. Coffee and a conversation was her specialty.

She was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Oakley and the altar society, Oakley V.F.W. Post 2981 Ladies Auxiliary, Ladies Auxiliary of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Queen Mary Circle, the Red Hat Society, a 36 year Alcoholics Anonymous member and held various offices at different times.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband Sam; two sons, Lawrence "Sam" Kruse and Jerome "Jerry" Kruse; two brothers, Leo Zerr and Paul Zerr; a granddaughter, Sheena Stephens; and two grandsons, Kerry Reilley, and Jance Kruse.

Survivors include three daughters: Izetta (Wes) Rummel of Colby; Lisa (Stan) Stephens of Oakley; and Lomita "Bo" (Don) Opel of Littleton, CO; a son, Gary Kruse of Oakley; four sisters: Henrietta Jackson of Pomona, MO, Julie Robben of Colorado Springs, CO, Bobbie Falkenburg (Gus Priola) of St. Petersburg, FL, and Mony Zerr of Colorado Springs, CO; a brother, Art Zerr (Jo) of Denver, CO; 17 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren.
Ada was dearly loved and will be missed by family and many friends.

Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 24, 2014 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Colby with burial at 2:00 p.m. in St. Joseph Cemetery, Oakley. Visitation: Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, Oakley with a vigil service at 6:00 p.m.

Memorials: Ada Kruse Memorial Fund may be sent to the funeral home, PO Box 221, Oakley, KS 67748.

www.kennedykosterfh.com