Joan Kathryn Kruse

Joan Kathryn Kruse

Joan Kathryn Bierman was born to George and Marie Bierman in the small town of Canajoharie, New York on September 9, 1927. Her parents died early in their lives, and in 1947 as a young woman, Joan moved across the country to California with her adoptive aunt and uncle, sister, and two cousins.

She lived in a boarding house with her sister and worked as a bank teller for a year or so after arriving “out West.” Then she met the love of her life, Bill Kruse, at her sister’s engagement gathering. Bill had just completed his Merchant Marine service and was standing up with the groom; he was immediately captivated by the classy-looking maid of honor, Joan. They married on September 11, 1948, and began their 75-year life adventure together.

Joan was a devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She dedicated herself to caring for her family, making great meals and being a resourceful homemaker. Bill’s job required the family to move frequently, and Joan transformed different houses into loving homes across six different states and twice overseas in Switzerland. The small-town girl took to new life experiences and even living overseas quickly, not letting different languages or cultures become barriers to enjoying life. A favorite family story was in Paris, when a traveler asked her for directions in French; she quickly replied in her best German: “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” (do you speak English?) – the traveler shook his head ‘no!’ and ran away from the crazy American!

Joan was an expert whistler; she could carry a tune! She loved to read, and would often be engrossed in two or more books at once, having a keen memory on the details of everything she read. Joan was an avid card player, teaching her granddaughters new card games and colorful language as the cards slapped the table.

She was a forever fan of the San Franciso Giants, maintaining a list of the entire spring training team and following each player through the baseball season… advice for umpires and the manager freely offered!

Family and friends were remembered annually with personal handwritten notes in the birthday and Christmas cards she sent. Joan was quite skilled using social media for her generation, and enjoyed communicating by email, instant messaging, and kept up on Facebook.

Joan and Bill’s last move in retirement brought them home to Fremont, California. Letting no grass grow under their feet, they promptly got an RV and traveled extensively around the country, singing “On The Road Again” with each departure. Their goal was to enjoy beautiful scenery, new places and experiences – and occasionally visit family when their routes allowed. They made several coast-to-coast trips, saw much of Canada and made three memorable trips to Alaska. Joan never learned to drive, but she was Bill’s faithful navigator on their trips… calling out road signs and peering out the window with binoculars, seeking landmarks. Who needs a GPS?!! Every so often family came along on RV trips, and those times were especially fun. One of the many things Joan loved about RVing was she didn’t have to cook, because they wanted to try local cuisine and wines. The RV often returned to California laden with “goodies” from their travels.

Joan was preceded in death by her parents and mother-in-law, Vivian Welch; her sister Mary Lou Hughes; two close cousins Barbara Schmitz and Janet Browne; brothers-in-law Bob and Bernie Kruse, sister-in-law Bette Hammes and sadly in infancy, one great-grandson Wyatt Krantz.

Joan is survived by her husband, Bill; her daughter Kate Halvorson and husband Jim, their four daughters Jessica (Matthew), Amy (Bob), Angela (Brian) and Andrea (Fritz); her daughter, Karen Wilson; and her son, Jerry Kruse and his fiancée Teresa Scott, Jerry’s daughters Mandi (Chris) and Nikki (Donald). Great-grandson, Jameson; great-granddaughters, Madeleine, Brittney, Sydney, Rebekah, Annabelle, and Eliza. And one great-great-granddaughter, Maisie.

Joan came to the end of her long road and passed away peacefully in Placerville, California on November 16, 2023. At 96, she had a full, well-lived life and experienced more than many. She often remarked she never expected to live that long and do so much in her lifetime. We’ll miss our loving Mutti and special Oma – the world is an emptier place without you. We take heart there’s great company waiting for you above, including your favorite dog Maude, looking for her walk and not-so-patiently waiting for her evening scoop of ice cream!

The family wants to thank many who supported Joan and Bill after they moved to Placerville in their elder years: Gold Country Independent Living staff (especially Coco, Trish, Dixie); Eskaton Assisted Living staff; Primary Care Provider Dr. Bill Koble and cardiologist Dr. Scott Vasconcellos; Diamond Springs Fire Department and Emergency Medical Technicians (whom Joan called “The Boys”) for their prompt responses and gentle rides to the ER; and Snowline Hospice nurse Chelsea, and many other helpful hospice staff and volunteers.