Marion Krueger

Marion Louise Krueger grew up on a farm with a large family, married at a young age and raised a large family of her own. Through the simple things of life she discovered what was important: family, friends and faith. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Born on July 22, 1931 in Detroit, Michigan to Orlo and Dorothy (Jordon) Jenkins, Marion was one of six children. Orlo and Dorothy worked hard to raise Marion, along with her siblings: Betty, Beatrice, Dorothy, Judy and Vern. Marion was born at the beginning of the Great Depression, a time when many Americans were struggling just to make ends meet. The Jenkins family moved to a farm in Kent City when Marion was young, where they raised some cattle. With such a large family and living on a farm, the children were all expected to help out with chores. When Marion wasnt going to school or helping out with chores, she enjoyed playing in the hayloft. Marion met a handsome young man named Ted Krueger, who had relatives living on a nearby farm. The two young people took notice of each other and were married when Marion was only fifteen years old. Shortly after they were married, Ted joined the Army, and he and Marion moved to New Jersey where he was stationed. Over the years, Marion and Ted brought seven beautiful children into the world: Linda, Richard, Beverly, Ted, Ralph Wanda and Scott. After Ted left the military, the family moved back to Michigan to live with his parents for a while before settling in Ruddiman Terrace in Muskegon. Ted found employment at CWC Foundry while Marion stayed home to care for the children and run the household. Marion was a wonderful cook and when the children were older she decided to use her cooking skills outside the home. She started out as a waitress and worked her way up to the position of cook. Mr. Bs Restaurant, Mr. Hs, Getty Inn and the restaurant at the Farmers Market were a few of the places where Marion worked. The family eventually bought some property on Heights-Ravenna Road, where they built and lived in a garage for a time. The children remember having to bathe in a wash tub in the kitchen, and the bathroom was an outhouse in the backyard. Needless to say, they were all very happy when they could move into their two bedroom home complete with indoor plumbing! While they werent much for taking vacations, the family did take one special trip to Mackinaw Island. The children still reminisce about all the fun they had there as a family. Ted and Marion did enjoy going out to local establishments to spend time with their friends when they could. Taking an early retirement, Ted and Marion sold their house to their daughter, Bev. They in turn bought a trailer from Bev and then moved to Lake Tahoe, located between Rothbury and Newaygo. It was here that Marion loved spending time with her many grandchildren and when she could find a quiet moment or two, she would knit and crochet. Sadly, Ted passed away in 1993, leaving behind a grieving wife and family. Marion started attending the New Era Church and found that she enjoyed the activities and spiritual help that she discovered there. As time went on, Marions health began to decline and Alzheimers started to make its presence felt. She lived with various relatives for a while, before she needed more care than anyone person could give her. She moved into Christian Care Nursing Home, where the staff took good care of her. While Marion didnt always like living there, she did get to bring Lady, her dog with her for comfort. Marion was a woman who could be counted on to care for others. Not only did she help her family when she was young, she also took care of and supported her own family later in life. She was a good cook, who passed these skills on to her daughters, and used these skills to help supplement the family income. She will be remembered for her devotion to her family and friends and all who were blessed to know her. Marion L. Krueger, age 77, died Monday, February 23, 2009. Her family includes; 4 sons, Richard Krueger of FL, Ted Krueger of White Cloud, Ralph Krueger of CA, Scott Krueger of AZ; 3 daughters, Linda (George) Gerhard of Whitehall, Beverly (Martin) DeVries of Fruitport, Wanda (Perry) Johnivan of New Era; 12 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; 4 sisters, Beatrice Jenkins, Judy Jenkins, Shirley (Max) Hern all of FL, Dorothy Roberts of Grant, MI. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1993 and by her grandson, Terry DeVries in 2004. A service will be held on Friday, March 6, 2009, 11:00 AM at the Clock Chapel-Muskegon. MEMORIAL: Special Olympic's Area 21. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.