Audrey McConnell Kruse

Visitation was held from seven to nine p.m., Thursday, June 23, 2011, at Biglin's Mortuary.

Funeral Services were held Friday, June 24, 2011, at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill. Randy Schmeichel officiating. Music was provided by organist Lila Beed and soloist Karen McConnell.

Biglin's Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.

Burial was in the O'Neill Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Troy McConnell, Tracy McConnell, Deb Predmore, Dace Predmore and Dewey Pongratz.

Audrey Maxine Gilster was born on July 31, 1912, at Ceresco to John and Ida (Houts) Gilster. She was their second daughter. Helen was the oldest, then Audrey, Cathern and Genon. Audrey began school at age 6 at Geresco. They lived there for several years then moved to Plainview.

In 1922, the Gilster family moved to the place eight miles west of Chambers on Highway 95 (The Waldo Place), and Audrey enrolled at Amelia school in the fifth grade.

John Jr. arrived and was welcomed by four sisters. All the children had chores to do as they grew up. They fed chickens, gathered eggs, picked up pig pen cobs to burn, milked cows and worked in the hay field with teams of horses. Audrey was a member of the local 4-H Club and learned cooking skills at an early age. This stayed an important part of her live. She loved sharing her many "delicious dishes" with family and friends. She was a great cook! 

As a child she spent many hours roller skating and later attending barn dances in and around the Amelia and Chambers area. She also enjoyed teasing her sisters. One day the four girls were just returning from swimming and decided to dress up in their mother's clothes. The dress Cathern wore was blue silk and since she was still wet from swimming, it faded all over her skin. Audrey firmly convinced Cathern she was dying because she was "turning blue." Audrey never lost her sense of humor or her zest for fun!

Audrey finished eleventh grade at Amelia school and then went to Atkinson for the twelfth grade. Audrey graduated from Atkinson High School with the class of 1932. There were 35 members in her class.

April 1, 1933, Howard McConnell and Audrey Gilster exchanged wedding vows at the Courthouse in Bassett. After marriage they lived and worked in Rock County for about one year then moved to Emmett and lived with Howard's parents Alec and Hattie McConnell. Jay was born in 1934, Larry in 1936, Kathleen in 1939 and Pat in 1944 at Emmett. Howard was killed in a tractor accident on Highway 281 in the spring of 1957.

After Howard's death, Audrey moved to O'Neill and was employed at St. Anthony's Hospital, then Johnson's Drug Store.

In August of 1965, Audrey and Loren Kruse were married at Rushville. With this marriage came a step-daughter, Karen and a step-son, Jim. Both were welcomed and loved as her own. Audrey and Loren moved to Kimball and ran a motel for several years. They then returned to Chambers where they continued to live until Loren passed away in January 1978. Audrey lived in their home until June of 2008 when she moved to the Evergreen Assisted Living in O'Neill at the age of 96.

Audrey was baptized at Bethany Church in November of 1966. She enjoyed many activities at the church. She especially loved the Christmas season with all the beautiful carols, but confessed that her very favorite was "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." Each Christmas as you hear that carol, please remember a little lady with snappy brown eyes and a great sense of humor. God is good!

Her hobbies were many through the years. She enjoyed crafts of all kinds, crocheting, cross word puzzles, bird watching, reading and sewing just to name of few.

Audrey is survived by one daughter, Kathleen Pongratz of O'Neill; sons, Jay McConnell and his wife Ellen of Deming, NM, Larry McConnell and his wife Beverly of Chambers, Pat McConnell and his wife Cheri of O'Neill; James Kruse and wife Mary of Salt Lake City, Utah; 13 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild and brother John Gilster and wife Ella Mae of Filer Idaho.

She was preceded in death by her parents; both her husbands; 3 sisters; 1 son-in-law and 1 step-daughter.