Marshalltown, IA - Dr. Rufus H. Kruse, 102, of Marshalltown, IA, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, May 28, 2023 in the comfort of his own bed, surrounded by his family in the home he and his wife built sixty years ago. He was under the loving, compassionate care of Iowa River Hospice. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 17, 2023 at Elim Lutheran Church in Marshalltown. Visitation will be 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 16, 2023 at Anderson Funeral Homes in Marshalltown. Memorials may be directed to Iowa River Hospice in honor of Rufus. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com

Rufus was born on Mother's Day, May 8, 1921 in Clinton, IA to Ferdinand L. and Anna D. (Vogt) Kruse. He was the fourth of five children who grew up and flourished on their Clinton County farm near Goose Lake, IA. He loved the farm and especially loved planting trees and flowers with his Grandma Vogt. He was a long-time member of 4-H and a founding member of the Goose Lake Junior Feeders, which still exists today. He also showed a champion calf at the regional 4-H competition. Time spent on the farm gave him a strong work ethic and his loving family gave him the foundation for what made him an empathetic, patient, gentle physician. He attended Goose Lake Schools and graduated from Goose Lake High School in 1938, where, as a tall student, he was recruited for, and lettered for, the basketball team.

He attended Wartburg College for two years before transferring to the State University of Iowa (Now the University of Iowa). While earning his BS degree in Pre-Med, he took a history class where he sat next to a beautiful young woman who caught his eye and won his heart. His beloved, Dorothy Frost, of Emmetsburg, IA, became his near constant companion and they told us many, many stories of the dances, fraternity events, movies, dinners and walks they shared before graduation in 1942 - Rufus in Pre-Med and Dorothy in Speech and education. They were engaged on Christmas Day, 1943 and married on June 23, 1944 in Emmetsburg.

As WWII wore on, medical doctors were desperately needed for the Pacific and European theaters, so the University, in conjunction with the US Government, enrolled the medical students immediately after their undergraduate graduation. Rufus' medical class then had to complete their studies in three years, without breaks, instead of the usual four. He was enrolled in the V12 Officer Training Program and commissioned into the USNR on graduation day in 1945. As the war had then ended, the need for physicians shifted to caring for the thousands of returning servicemen and women. He was first assigned to the VA hospital in Tucson, AZ. He and Dorothy were then transferred to hospitals in San Diego, Long Beach, San Francisco and eventually to Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii where he was the Medical Officer for the Naval Supply Center for the Pacific fleet. He and Dorothy could see the remnants of the USS Arizona just a couple blocks from their quarters. They traveled the islands marveling at the local flora and fauna. It was during this time that their first child, Julie, became part of the family and shortly after her birth they returned to the mainland and were stationed at Great Lakes Training Center north of Chicago. He then decided that he wanted to return to school and complete a residency in Internal Medicine through the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Veterans' Hospital.

After completing his residency in 1956, the family chose Marshalltown to begin his private medical practice, as it was about halfway between Dorothy's hometown of Emmetsburg and Rufus' hometown of Goose Lake. He set up practice in the Masonic Temple for several years and he and Dorothy welcomed a daughter, Jeannie, in 1959 and a son, Ken, in 1962. In the early sixties, he and Dr. Earl Keyser built Doctor's Park, just south of the hospital, now a parking lot. Several doctors joined them including Dr. Ralph Keyser, Dr. Trey, and Arthur Cloud. Several years later they then built Doctor's Park South which housed several more doctors and ultimately became the home of Primary Health Care. Rufus practiced at all three hospitals (Mercy, Evangelical and The Veterans' Home) over the years, saw patients in all the nursing homes and made house-calls up until his retirement in 1991 when he left his practice to care full-time for Dorothy who suffered from Alzheimer's. He leaves a lasting legacy of caring for patients as if they were family.

During his time in Marshalltown, he was a board member of Community Nursing, President of the Central Iowa Heart Council, Patient Advocate for area nursing homes, an Assistant County Medical Examiner, a 67-year member of Elim Lutheran Church, and a life-long, die-hard Iowa Hawkeye fan. Past memberships include The American, Iowa State and Marshall County Medical Associations, The American Academy of Physicians, The Chamber of Commerce, Elmwood Country Club, Souvenir Club, Goose Lake Senior Citizens, and the U of I Alumni Assn.

He loved all trees and planted every tree on his property. He enjoyed working in the dirt with his flowers and garden and could be seen after midnight raking in the garden as recently as two years ago. He took his family on many annual road trip vacations to be sure they saw the country and appreciated the beauty of the land. His ever-present camera followed him and lovingly captured each family moment, but also filmed presidents, the first hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific in 1952 (now currently housed with the National Archives) and several eruptions of volcanoes while in Hawaii. In addition to tending to his trees and flowers, he was an avid bridge player and played up until April of this year. He followed and supported his children's activities and held season tickets to the Bobcat basketball games for years and always enjoyed a good meal out with friends followed by bridge at the house.

He leaves behind his children, Julie Kruse Brewer of Marshalltown, Jeannie Bilyeu, Nevada and Ken Kruse of Marshalltown. Seven grandchildren, Matt (Lindsay) Brewer of Centennial, CO, Shannon (Gus) Juarez of Des Moines, Sean Bilyeu of Ankeny, Nate (Brandie) Bilyeu of Monticello, Sara Hohn of Nevada, Chris (Roxanne) Kruse of Mill Creek, WA and Mindy Kruse of Marshalltown. 20 great-grandchildren: Zachary, Jack, Lindsay, Gavin, Jack, Jayden, Logan, Emilee, Isabella, Lilliana, Daniel, Tabitha, Skylar, Bailey, Malachai, Michael, Bradley, Nathaniel, Charlee and Wyatt, five great-great- grandchildren and one on the way. He is also survived by many dear nephews, nieces and close friends. He was preceded in death by his beloved, Dorothy, his parents, his sister, Annona Kruse, and brothers; Lafeyette (Edna) Kruse, Kermit (Betty) Kruse and Raymond (Marie) Kruse, sons-in-law; Mark Weaver and Daniel Bilyeu, daughter-in-law, Pam Goeske Kruse, great granddaughter, Averi and his Frost in-laws who were loved as family.