Mrs. Ruth Alice Kraus, 81, of LaPorte, died Sept. 10, 2014, at IU Health LaPorte Hospital.
She was born Feb. 25, 1933, in Peoria, IL, to Martin and Josephine (Bainbridge) Strischek and came here in 1960 from Calumet City, IL.
Ruth retired after 10 years of service with the Indiana Department of Highways as a general office employee. Ruth loved to attend her grandchildren’s activities. She coached volleyball at St. Peter, bowled with her husband, made crafts and ceramics, and was a member of St. Peter Catholic Church and the Madonna Circle.
On Oct. 24, 1953, in Chicago, she married James A. Kraus, who preceded her in death on Oct. 31, 2000.
She was also preceded in death by a son, Karl Kraus, on Oct. 26, 2001; sisters, Caroline Flood, Harriet Vodicka and Katherine Micienco; and brothers, Martin and John Strischek.
Surviving are her daughters, Donna (Mark) Pettis of LaPorte and Karyn (David) Campos of Kingsford Heights, IN; sons, Kenneth (Barbara) Kraus of LaPorte, Steven Kraus of LaPorte and Thomas (Doreen) Kraus of North Judson, IN; 20 grandchildren, Amanda, Sara, Kathryn, Cory, Jason, Ryan, Angela, Michael, William, Toby, Jennifer, Melissa, Alanna, Josephine, Karley, Rebecca, James, Allison, Chloe, and Melissa; six great-grandchildren, Nathan, Andrew, Samantha, Brayden, Kiele and Mahana; and several nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 15, at St. Peter Catholic Church, LaPorte, with Rev. Joseph Angotti officiating. Visitation will be at Essling Funeral Home, LaPorte, on Sunday, Sept. 14, from 4 to 8 p.m. and Monday from 9 a.m. until the service. The Rosary will be recited at 4 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will follow the service in Pine Lake Cemetery, LaPorte.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Foundation at www.diabetes.org, or to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Messages of condolence may be posted below on WNLP, as well as at www.esslingfuneralhome.com.