In Memory of Kelly J. Krueger

Kelly J. Krueger, age 50, of Ida Grove, Iowa, passed away on Friday, June 27, 2025, at the MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center of Sioux City, Iowa.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 9:30 a.m., Friday, July 11, 2025, at the Crawford Creek Shelter House of Battle Creek, Iowa. Rev. Missy Erickson will officiate. Family requests that all attending bring a lawn chair.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, July 10, 2025, at the Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, Iowa.

The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Homes of Ida Grove and Battle Creek, Iowa, are in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com

Kelly Jean Krueger, age 50, of Ida Grove, Iowa, passed away on Friday, June 27, 2025, at the MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center of Sioux City, Iowa. 

Kelly was born on July 6, 1974, to Arthur and Darla Krueger at the Battle Creek, Iowa, hospital. She was baptized at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Battle Creek. She spent her childhood in Battle Creek and attended Battle Creek Community School graduating with the class of 1992 of which she was the salutatorian. After high school, she attended the University of South Dakota earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication/Media Studies. 

Kelly worked various jobs until 1999 when she joined the advertising department as an editor at GOMACO in Ida Grove, Iowa. In 2020 she was promoted to Advertising Manager where she worked until her passing.

Although Kelly never married or had children of her own, she adopted many fur babies over the years.  While she loved them all, her beloved dog, Spike, was her favorite. He was extremely devoted to her.  Besides her fur babies, she also cherished her role as an aunt and enjoyed teasing everyone that she was the favorite family member (which she probably was). 

Kelly was a radiant soul whose presence brought light and comfort to everyone she encountered. To be loved by her was to feel truly seen, heard, and cherished. She had a rare and beautiful gift: no matter who you were, she had a way of making you feel like the most important person in the room. Her heart was endlessly generous, her laughter contagious, and her kindness unmatched.

A creative spirit through and through, Kelly poured her passion into everything she touched. She brought beauty and joy into the world in her own unique way. Her love for cooking was legendary; most recently she had become an expert in sourdough baking and started her own business called “In the Kitchen with Dad and Kelly.” Both father and daughter enjoyed that time together.  

It was Kelly’s giving spirit that set her apart. She was always the first to help, the one who showed up without being asked, and the person who quietly made life better for everyone around her. 

She was funny, witty, and full of life; the kind of person who left others better than she found them. Her absence leaves a space that can never be filled, but her love will continue to live on in the countless lives she touched.

Those left to cherish her memory include her father Arthur Krueger of Battle Creek, IA; siblings Jeffrey (Laurie) Krueger of Nemaha, IA and Teena (Rod) Andersen of Pilger, NE; nieces Hayley (Will) Royle of Archer, NE, Alyssa (Jordan) Breitkreutz of West Point, NE, Ashley (Andrew) Winter of Canton, SD; and nephew Alex Benson of Bondurant, IA; along with a wide circle of family and friends who will forever carry her light in their hearts.

She was preceded in death by her mother Darla Krueger; paternal grandparents Arthur and Louise Krueger; maternal grandparents Clifford and Darlene Wood; and extended family. 

In honoring her life, we celebrate not only the beauty she created but the love she gave so freely. May we all strive to be a little more like her…. more generous, more joyful, and more kind.

She was a bright light in a sometimes dim world, and her glow will never be forgotten.