Ewert, Katharine Amalia Krehbiel Kruse (1866-1947)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1948 Jan 29 p. 6

Birth date: 1866 Apr 10

text of obituary:

MRS. KATHARINE KRUSE-EWERT

Mrs. Katharine Amalia K. Kruse-Ewert, daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. Christian Krehbiel of Halstead, Kansas, was born April 10, 1866, at Summerfield, Illinois and came with the family to Halstead in March, 1879.

Being the oldest daughter in a large family, even in her early “teens” she was a great help to her mother. In those pioneer days educational opportunities were limited for all, especially for girls, but Katie was one of the three girls admitted as students of the Mennonite preparatory school which was established at Halstead by the Kansas Conference of Mennonites and strongly supported by her father and other friends.

She was married on August 1, 1886, to Henry O. Kruse, and [sic an] educator who taught as superintendent of the Halstead public schools, later at Bethel College, and then to the time of his death on September 29, 1922, was professor of German at the state university at Lawrence, Kansas.

In 1926 she was united again in marriage, this time to another prominent educator, the widower, H. H. Ewert, who for over 30 years had been the head of the Mennonite Collegiate Institute at Gretna, Manitoba. Here too she found ways of endearing herself to the student body as she had done at other schools, and the M.C.I. had a memorial service for her on December 14, 1947.

After the death of Professor Ewert in December, 1934, Katie was brought by her only son Robert (Schiller) Kruse to his home at Madison, Connecticut, her future home, with the exception of some time she spent in Kansas with members of the family. In the summer of 1947 she suffered a stroke and was lovingly cared for by her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Madilene Kruse, and the family until she was called on December 12, 1947, to her eternal home to be with her Lord and Savior whom she loved and served. Her body was brought to Lawrence, Kansas, and interred beside that of her first husband.

Beside her son Robert and his wife Madilene and their two sons, Carl and Roland, four of her brothers remember her in deep affection, namely C. E. Krehbiel, Newton; Edward B. of New York; and Paul G. and Lucas P. of Halstead, and many friends.

A member of the Halstead, Kansas, Mennonite church has written: “She was always interested in our church and asked about its welfare and sent her contribution. In a recent letter she wrote that she was the oldest standing member of our church.”

The Mennonite obituary: 1948 Jan 20 p. 12