Jason J. Kraus

Jason J. Kraus, 60, of Nashua passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, July 19, 2025, surrounded by his family and closest friends. He was preceded in death just two days prior by his beloved dog, Jack, who was his sidekick on the acreage and was always by his side. Both passed away from heart conditions they were unable to beat.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 26, 2025, at Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church in Garner with Rev. Brian Lund officiating. A luncheon in the basement will follow. The family is requesting casual attire at Jason’s funeral.

To view his service click the following link:  Watch Video

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for donations in Jason’s name to Nashua EMS, Nashua Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association or Australian Shepherds Furever.

Born on September 20, 1964, in Mason City, Iowa, Jason was the son of Calvin and Sharon (Zech) Kraus. He was baptized and confirmed at Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church in Garner. He grew up on a farm south of Garner where he developed a love for dogs and horses. He had many horses with one of his favorites being Pegasus, his barrel racer. Jason graduated from Garner-Hayfield High School in 1983. He received an associate's degree in Mechanical Design from NIACC in Mason City and continued his education in Mechanical Engineering Technology at Metropolitan State College of Denver. While living in Denver, he co-founded Quest Product Development Corporation, where he was the Operations Manager as well as a Board member for several years. He led the Engineering department on many projects while directly developing the products on others.

In 2002, he moved back to Iowa to be closer to his family and soon after met his wife, Janell. In 2006, Jason and Janell moved to Nashua and were married on June 30, 2007, at the Little Brown Church. They made their home on an acreage just off the lake where they enjoyed camping, fishing and spending time with their dogs. Jason had many passions, the greatest being related to dogs whether it be his own, those being transported from kill shelters or dogs at the local humane society who needed socialization. This passion ultimately led to the beginning of a dog boarding business in their home.

Following several positions in the design engineering and operations fields, Jason ended his career as a consultant for John Deere in Waterloo, Iowa. During this time as well as prior, Jason was responsible for five separate patents and various trade secrets throughout his career in the medical, on-road and agriculture industries.

Jason’s many other passions included mountain biking in Moab, UT as well as skiing and hiking in the mountains of Colorado. One of his greatest achievements was climbing 5 of the 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado with friends and his cocker spaniel, BJ. He also enjoyed participating in mountain search and rescue as well as visiting hospitals with his beloved dog, Kenya. Most recently, another great passion has been as a member of the pit crew during his nephew Ben’s racing career. Many weekends have been spent at racetracks around Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Jason is survived by his wife, Janell of Nashua; his mother, Sharon Kraus of Garner; his siblings, Tom (Lisa) Kraus of Garner, Brian (Sherri) Kraus of Le Mars and Ellen (Dan) Halley of Kona, HI; his brothers-in-law, Jeff Mitchell and James (May) Mitchell; his nieces and nephews, Andrea, Ben, Kaitlyn, Jena, Jesse, Breanne, Alexandra, Haleigh, Jayden and Kaila as well as several great nieces and nephews and special friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, Calvin in 2007; and parents-in-law, John and Jean MItchell both in 2017.