Leila C. Kruger

Leila C. Kruger, 88, of Garner died Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Belmond. 

A public visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., Monday, October 11, 2021 at Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St. in Garner.  A graveside service will follow the visitation at Concord Township Cemetery in Garner with Pastor Eric Pluff officiating.  The service will be livestreamed on the Cataldo Funeral Home Facebook page. 

Leila Clare Kruger was born at her great grandmother’s home in Iowa Falls on August 2, 1933, the daughter of Earl and Delma (Carpenter) Shane.  She graduated from Iowa Falls High School and married Roy M. Kruger on October 8, 1950 in Bethany, Missouri.  Leila and Roy moved to Torrance, CA in 1961 , where Leila worked as a secretary at Harvey Aluminum, Western Gear and Rotex Labelmakers.  In March of 1970, she and Roy moved back to Iowa with their family to Miller and she began working at Winnebago Industries in personnel.  She loved office work, meeting lots of people and always had a big smile for everyone she met.  After 25 years as a secretary, she retired and worked part-time for Head Start serving as a bus aide for 5 years, Speedmart, Nortronics and Doc’s Ice Cream in Garner.   Leila gave her heart to the Lord in 1951 and is in his presence in Heaven now.  In November of 1998, she was baptized in the same place as her beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, in the Jordan River which was the highlight of her life. She attended Open Bible Church in Clear Lake.

Those left to cherish her memory are her four children, Terry (Ginny) Kruger of Ankeny, Larry (Pam) Kruger of Thornton, Vicky (Bill) Sankey of Garner and Sandy (John) Alne of Rockwell City; 14 grandchildren, Jennifer Hall, Roxanne Oppman, Katie, Tyler, Caleb and Isaac Kruger, Ryan (Kaycee) Kruger, Justin Kruger and Aaron (Ashley) Kruger, Joshua (Diana) Sankey, Jenna (Scott) Gaskill and Jacob (Renee) Sankey, Seth (Cailey) Alne and Jesse (Sheyenne) Alne; 29 great grandchildren; one great-great granddaughter; two sisters, Eloise Lund of Garner and Darlene (Don) Dunbar of East Peoria, IL; a sister-in-law, Hilda Kruger of Grimes;  a brother-in-law, Frank (Ethel) Kruger of Cameron, WI; many nieces, nephews and cousins. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Roy; a daughter, Sherrie Ann Oppman;  a brother, Neal (Betty) Shane; in-laws, Carl (Etta) Janssen, Helen (Leo) DePrenger, Andrew (Tena) Kruger, Bob (Grace) Robertson, Clarence (Agnes) Pieper, Herman (Barbara) Kruger, Jake Kruger, Bob Lund, Paul (Jennie) Warschkow; and five nephews, Gary Pieper, Myrl Kruger, Michael Shane, Michael Rochester and Jeff Rochester.