Grand Rapids – Rita Kruse, 76, of Grand Rapids, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 13, 2023, at Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital, with her daughters by her side.
Rita was born in 1946 in Crookston. She spent her earliest years in Terrebonne, before moving to Plummer with her older sisters, Julia and Faith, and her parents, Raymond and Zelia Paradis. Rita moved to Milwaukee after school to be close to her sisters, but soon moved back to Plummer to help her father and mother. She met and married Keith “Butch” Kruse in 1970. Together, they made their home in Plummer, where they raised their two daughters, Nicole and Michelle. Rita started working for Detroiter (Homark Homes), where she would work for the next 30+ years. They moved to Grand Rapids around 2000, where Rita retired. She would work on and off at Glenn’s in Grand Rapids, which she enjoyed as she was able to meet and talk with people.
Rita had a creative soul. She ran her own ceramic studio in Plummer for years and loved to paint, crochet, quilt and knit. She made beautiful quilts and baby blankets and enjoyed sharing them with family and friends. Rita was fiercely independent with a fiery personality. She was also a loving woman with a big heart who would do anything for her family. She had an infectious laugh and beautiful smile that made you smile with her.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Butch Kruse; her parents, Zelia and Raymond Paradis; sisters, Julia Stucy and Faith Paradis; sister-in-law, Delores Knudson; and brothers-in-law, Don Stucy, John “Bud” Kruse, and Larry Kruse.
Rita is survived by her daughters, Nicole (Jon) Koelsch and Michelle Kruse; grandchildren, Ava and Ethan Koelsch; brother-in-law, Wayne Kruse; sisters-in-law, Betty Kruse and Beatrice Kruse; and many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life with friends and family will be held near Plummer in the spring.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Lung Association.
Arrangements are with the Libbey Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Grand Rapids. To sign the online guestbook or send condolences visit www.libbeyfuneralhome.com
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