MARION – Owen Kroese passed away on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at the Marion, IL, VA CLC under the care of a wonderful staff.
He was born on July 18, 1943, in Firth, NE, to John and Jenny (Fisher) Kroese. He is survived by his two sons, David (Dr. Kareen Simpson) Kroese of Loves Park, IL, and John (Joni) Kroese of Sesser. He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, Ruth, Ruby and Jeanette; and five brothers, Henry, John, Dean, Glen and Garrett.
Owen was a Vietnam Veteran serving in the United States Navy. His son David wrote a tribute for his dad: Owen influenced every aspect of my life.
Clamoring to join him on late night calls to a coal mine with an inoperable hoist and working men tired from a long and arduous shift stranded hundreds of feet beneath the earth, miners eventually emerged, faces blackened with soot and coal dust and several made a point to stop and talk to the little 8-year-old boy waiting in a pickup truck to tell him how they appreciated Owen and his ability to troubleshoot the equipment that brought them back to their families.
“We were in good spirits knowing Owen was here and we would be coming up as soon as possible,” more than one blackened face stopped to share. These experiences inspired me to be an engineer from grade school. What a powerful thing, to use math and science to fix problems important and critical to other human beings.
Owen developed a knack in the U.S. Navy for electrical technology and earned a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nebraska in 1970 after his active duty. The inspiration to pursue engineering came entirely from Owen and his contributions to others. My parents shared their love of history at an early age. The library of books my father collected covering American and world history became childhood readers for his young son. We trekked to historical locations at every opportunity. The resulting passion would later inspire my exploration of our national park system. Owen taught his two boys a love and respect of God, country, and family. Until past the age of 70 when nearly all of his older siblings had passed, he remained a brother or brother-in-law with healthy familial relationships.
Owen remained proud of his military service until his last moments. When he knew he could no longer manage independently, he wanted to spend his remaining time near fellow veterans. Owen shared formative and lasting influences by example. He approached managing others as a responsibility to support the success of those under his influence. Through the last seven years of his life, Owen struggled with Parkinson’s disease and dementia. These conditions changed him in unfortunate ways. I hope others can forgive any less than decorous behavior caused by these conditions.
A visitation will take place on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, from 4 until 6 p.m. at the Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser.
Graveside services will be held on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St Louis, MO, with Brother Larry Cook officiating.
For more information go to our website www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com.