Margaret Kratz, of Montevideo, died Saturday, August 6, 2016 at Luther Haven Nursing Home at the age of 90.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at 10:30 AM at Salem Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Rev. Matt Philaya officiating. Interment will be in Immanuel Lutheran Church cemetery rural Montevideo. Visitation will be held on Monday, August 8, 2016 from 5-7 PM at Anderson-TeBeest Funeral Home in Montevideo and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.
Margaret May Moe was born May 15, 1926 to Olaf C. Moe and Kathinka Marie Moe in Chippewa County, Montevideo Minnesota. She grew up on the family farm and attended school in rural Montevideo, and graduated from Montevideo High School. It was on the bus to school in Montevideo, that she met her future husband, the bus driver, Loran Kratz. After several years of dating they were married in 1947 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in rural Watson, and had their reception at the Moe farm. They resided in rural Montevideo on the Kratz family farm until 1988, when they moved to the Moehring farm east of Montevideo. Loran and Margaret moved to their home in Montevideo in 2001. In June, 2015, Margaret moved to Luther Haven after breaking her hip in a fall. She was briefly home in Hospice care in March 2016, but rallied and regained strength and health, returning to Luther Haven in April 2016. Margaret was recently returned to Hospice Care after being diagnosed with Leukemia.
Margaret was a hard worker, who loved activity and people. During her life, Margaret worked for her dad driving tractor and raising livestock on the Moe farm, as an aide at the Montevideo hospital, and as a volunteer at Luther Haven. She also managed the 4-H food stand at the Chippewa County Fair for many years, making sure the barbeques were full of meat, the pie was fresh and homemade, and the workers didn’t stand around too long. She was in Homemaker’s club and Mother’s Club, and helped with Ladies’s Aid and Women’s Circle at Immanuel and Salem Lutheran Churches. Margaret also taught Sunday School classes at Immanuel and was a 4-H leader for the Rosewood Champs 4-H Club. She loved gardening, canning, going to the lake, and just being outdoors in the sun, a love that continued to the last day of her life. She never turned down an opportunity to watch a softball game, go for a car ride, stop at Trailways for butter-drenched shrimp or go to Arts for ice cream. She could eat ice cream anytime!
For fun, Margaret enjoyed bowling on several leagues, and called her children whenever she bowled a 200 game, or something close. For most of her married life, card playing was also a favorite pastime. She and Loran were in card clubs and enjoyed buck, pinochle, whist, kings in the corner and 500 with family and friends. If Loran was bidding, however, she would outbid him even if her hand was crappy and her children all knew that their nearly 69 years of marriage would have never survived if they were regular card partners!
Margaret loved waiting on her husband, Loran, spending time with family, and cooking and baking. She would plan reunions, holiday dinners, and any event where she could see her kids and generations of grandkids or where she could bring homemade lefse or potato salad. She didn’t let a hunting party, or a Lake Brophy or ice fishing trip, go over without ice cream pails of potato salad being sent along. Margaret always insisted that food be served at every gathering. When she could no longer bake as she once did, she would run to Bill’s to buy donuts or cookies, or order food from Valentino’s. Even when guest came to see her at Luther Haven, she would whisper to family, “What can we serve for lunch?”
Secretly, Margaret kept Publisher’s Clearing House in business. After her illness, all kinds of inexpensive “one of a kind” items were uncovered in various hiding places. She enjoyed and ordered many magazines and spent hours in her last years at the living room picture window, paging through them as she waited for the love-of-her-life to get home from driving the bus. Margaret was also a scratch-off queen who was luckier than most. She introduced her grandchildren to the sport whenever they were lucky enough to spend a few days with her.
At Luther Haven, Margaret’s favorites were Bingo, getting a chance to fish with her niece, Jeanne, and talking to people. She was a regular at the corner of the nurse’s station and started conversation with anyone who ventured to get past her. Her memory was faded and fleeting, but her love of listening, telling stories, sparring and wit will never be memories lost on those who loved her.
Margaret is survived by her sons: David (Diane) Kratz, Farwell, MN; Robert (Karen) Kratz, Montevideo, MN; and William (Pauline) Kratz Brookings, SD ; daughter: Debbra (Les) Dondoneau, Lake Park, MN; and son-in-Law, Daryl (Linda) Goughnour, Stillwater, MN; grandchildren: Michael (Annette) Kratz, Steven (Beatrice) Kratz, Elizabeth (special friend Steve Christianson and daughter, Cam) Goughnour, Rebecca Goughnour, Benjamin (Rachel) Goughnour, Matthieu (Marnie) Dondoneau, Jonathon (Evelyn) Dondoneau, Traci Weckwerth, Lauren Kratz and Britta Kratz; great-grandchildren: Justin (Brittany) Kratz, Taylor Kratz, Hayden Dondoneau, Hudson Dondoneau, Brodee Gilliland, Katlynn Gilliland, Alex Smith, Axton Weckwerth, Benjamin Rueben, Christopher Rueben; great-great grandson: Kristopher Kratz; and several nieces, nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Loran; daughter, Mary Goughnour; brothers James Moe and Roger Moe; sister Aletta Ostlie; twin sister, Marion Feldhake; James’ infant twin sister; and in-laws, Ralph Kratz , Alma Kratz, and Doris Payne.