Roberta Jean Krase

Roberta Jean Krase of Newton, KS died on August 2nd, 2023, at Presbyterian Manor surrounded by her family.  Jean was born at home in rural Elmdale, Kansas on April 7, 1931, to Fred P & Della F (Pracht) Jacques.

When jobs were hard to find, Jean’s family moved to Illinois where her father found a job as a truck driver traveling to New York. Jean attended grade school and graduated from Proviso High School in Maywood, Illinois.  She also took classes at Butler County Junior College in El Dorado and Kansas State Teacher College in Emporia, Kansas. 

She met her future husband, Wayne Lewis Krase, while in their junior year at Proviso High School.   She shared that Wayne was ‘always in trouble and frequently in the principal’s office’ and she would write his papers for their English class so he would graduate; and ‘he was cute’.  After graduating from high school, Jean’s family moved back to Kansas and Wayne enlisted in the service.  Jean & Wayne were married on November 2, 1951, in Jacksonville, Florida while Wayne was serving in the United States Navy. 

They enjoyed their years when Wayne was involved in various roles in the education field.  Jean was a stay-at-home mom for many years, worked in retail sales as well as real estate.  They purchased a small cabin at the Council Grove City Lake where they enjoyed hours of fun with their children and grandchildren.  They later built a house and retired to Council Grove in 1994 and lived there until they moved to Newton in the fall of 2016.  They were married for nearly 67 years before Wayne’s death on August 30, 2018.

Jean was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church in Council Grove and was also active in their Ladies Guild.  She was also a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  She was a talented seamstress and acquired a love for quilting as she made numerous quilts, table runners, wall hangings, etc.  She enjoyed traveling with Wayne and spending time with family & friends. 

Jean was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Wayne.  She is survived by son, Bruce (Denise) Krase of Newton, KS, and daughters Sandra (Vernon) Goerl of Hutchinson, KS and Sharon (Jerry) Pittman of Cottonwood Falls, KS.  She is also survived by sisters Ruth Joan Parks of Emporia, KS and Janet L. Pantaleo of Myrtle Beach, SC.  She is also survived by nine grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.

Per Jean’s wishes cremation will take place and a private family inurnment will be held at Prairie Grove Cemetery, west of Cottonwood Falls, KS.  A Celebration of Life service will be held on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at the Calvary Lutheran Church, 715 E. Main St, Council Grove, KS. The family will greet friends at the church following the service and will be encouraged to share memories of Jean.   Memorial contributions to Calvary Lutheran Church or the American Diabetes Association may be sent in care of the funeral home, Brown-Bennett-Alexander, Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845.

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