Obituary of Stephen John Kruse

Stephen John Kruse, 44, of Whitewater passed away Sunday, May 29, 2011, at his home after a herioc battle with cancer. He rests peacefully in his Savior's arms. Stephen was born September 5, 1966, in Saginaw, Michigan, to Judith (Tolford) and Jerome Kruse and became a child of God through baptism. He grew up in Watertown, WI, on the campus of the former Northwestern College, the current site of Luther Preparatory School. Steve was a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Watertown and was confirmed in his faith in 1980. He attended St. Mark's Lutheran School, Northwestern Prep School from 1980-1983, and graduated from Lakeside Lutheran High School in 1984. His college years were spent at Northwestern College, and the University of WI-Whitewater, where he obtained his education degree in 1989. Steve taught government and social studies at several high schools, including Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Milwaukee, Southwestern Middle School, Hazel Green, and Watertown High School. He earned his Master's Degree in Student Personnel Administration in 2000, and worked as an academic advisor at UW-Marshfield before returning to his alma mater UW-Whitewater to act as Advising Coordinator for the College of Education where he had been employed since 2001. Steve was an avid fisherman and loved spending time in his boat with his family and his brother. One of his favorite memories was attendiing many NCAA Final Four basketball tournaments with his father, the late Jerome Kruse of Watertown. Steve had a love for athletics and excelled in track and field during his high school years. Like his father, he was passionate about coaching and was involved in the basketball programs at Whitewater High School (1984-1989) while he attended UW-Whitewater, Wisconsin Lutheran and Southwestern High Schools, Northwestern College in Watertown, and the UW Badger Basketball Camps in Madison. Steve also coached track at Whitewater High School, Lakeside Lutheran HS, Wisconsin Lutheran HS, Luther Preparatory School and Watertown Riverside Middle School. He assisted with the football program at Whitewater High School from 1985-1987. Steve married Deborah Hohenstein on August 13, 1995, at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Watertown, WI. They were blessed with nearly sixteen years of wedded life, during which their two sons, John (1998) and Jesse (2003), were born. He is preceded in death by his father, Jerome in 1996 and his grandparents. He is survived by his wife, Deborah, sons John and Jesse, his mother Judith Kruse of Fort Atkinson and his brother, Paul and wife Wanda Kruse of Lake Mills; Deb�s parents Lloyd and Virginia Hohenstein of Watertown, seven brothers-and sisters-in-law and eighteen nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be held Friday, June 3, 2011, at 12:00PM at Bethany Ev. Lutheran Church, 404 Roosevelt Street, Fort Atkinson, WI with Rev. Steven Wilkens and Rev. Ethan Steinbrenner co-officiating. Burial will be in the Lutheran Cemetery, Town of Emmet, Wisconsin. Friends may call from 3-7PM on Thursday, June 2, 2011 at the Nitardy Funeral Home, 550 N. Newcomb St., Whitewater, WI and from 10AM-12PM on Friday, June 3, 2011 at the church until the services. As an expression of sympathy, memorials may be made to the family for the children�s education.