Lyle Kruse, age 95, of Spring Valley, Minn., passed away Thanksgiving Day 2019 at the Spring Valley Care Center in Spring Valley. Funeral services were held 11 a.m. Monday, Dec 2, 2019, at the Lindstrom Funeral Home in Cresco, followed by burial with military rites in Oak Lawn Cemetery, Cresco. Friends called from 9:30 a.m. Monday until time of services.
Lyle was born on August 16, 1924 in Riceville, Iowa to Emil and Mabel (Kleckner) Kruse. He attended schools in Riceville and Cresco, where he graduated in 1942.
On January 15, 1943, Lyle was inducted into the Army, where he served as a WWII Tech 4 high speed radio operator with the 216th Armored Med. Battalion. Lyle served in Europe for 21 months, the first six were in England. Thirty days after D-Day he crossed into France, he also was in Germany and a few other countries. In the Army he served as a radio operator and was fluent using Morse Code, he was able to use Morse Code up until recently. He received numerous decorations and battle starts for Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe.
After being discharged from the Army, Lyle farmed for a few years with his brother Dale in the Lime Springs/Cresco area. In 1955 Lyle moved to Charles City, Iowa, where he worked at Oliver tractor plant/White Farm and retired after 27 years in 1982. In 2008, due to health reasons he moved to Preston and later to Spring Valley Care Center until his death.
Lyle was a member of the American Legion in Charles City, Iowa, he had an interest in cars, followed the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Green Bay Packers and the St. Louis Cardinals.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Dale (Lucille) and Paul (Betty).
Lyle is survived by many nieces and nephews: Gerald Kruse of Yuma, Ariz., Ronald Kruse of Lime Springs, Iowa, Shirley McCarville, of LeRoy, Minn., Mary (Peter) Peterson of Preston, Minn., Maxine (Marc) Stockman of Lime Springs, Iowa, Dale (Cathy) Kruse of Decorah, Iowa, Gary (Ann) Kruse of Hayfield Minn., Sharon (Terry) Larson of Lime Springs, Iowa, Lynn (Karen) Kruse of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gail (Jim) Luden of St. Charles, Minn., Roxanne Stunes, Lori (Phillip) Williams, James Olson and Gorden Harrell, all of Mitchell S. Dak.; Susan Kruse of Tustin, Mich., and Paul Kruse of Phoenix, Ariz.
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