November 21, 1928 - December 11, 2016

Much loved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend to many

Elsie Krueger, a resident of Edmonds since the late 90s, passed away peacefully on December 11.  She was born in Minnesota and moved to Klickitat, WA with her family when she was 10.  She remained in Klickitat until the late 70s, when she, and her late husband, Clarence, moved to a house he built on the golf course in North Bonneville, WA.

After Clarence died in 1983, Elsie remained in North Bonneville and in the late 90s, she started wintering in Edmonds to get out of the icy weather in the Columbia Gorge and to be closer to her children.  It was during one of her winter “snowbird” stays in Edmonds that she became acquainted with the staff who worked for Rick Steves.  She referred to Rick’s staff as “my people” and she was a regular at staff social events for years, enjoying picnics and Christmas parties with them.  She also knew many of his tour guides, and delighted in being able to host small gathering of them when they came to Edmonds each January.

When she moved to Edmonds full-time, she became very active at the South County Senior Center.   For many years, each day saw her at the Center’s Coffee Bar, serving coffee and treats to a wide circle of seniors and community members.  She also worked at the Center’s Thrift Shop, played Bingo on Wednesdays and enjoyed the Center’s casino outings.

Elsie was a life-long member of the Lutheran Church, and was part of the Edmonds Lutheran Church congregation.  She often participated in coffee hours after services and enjoyed playing cards with other church members.

Elsie was very proud of her red Cadillac.  She drove it every day until she suffered a stroke in 2015.  She knew her “limits” in later years, however, and her driving was confined to the Edmonds bowl area and up Edmonds Way to her church.

One of her favorite Saturday morning pastimes was to go to the Edmonds Bakery for coffee.  She had a favorite seat in the window at the bakery and would sit there for hours just talking to those who came in and watching folks walk by.

Elsie loved to golf, and for many years was a member of the Emblem Club and The Grange.  She also liked to travel, and visited many countries on her trips to various places around the globe.

Elsie is survived by her three children:  Mary Ann (Cliff) Cameron, Edmonds; Sandy (Scott) Basse, Shoreline; and C.G. (Elaine) Krueger, Long Beach, CA.  She also is survived by six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and her brother Gerhart (Adeline) Dinger, Marysville.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 43 years, and seven siblings. 

FUNERAL INFORMATION

A Celebration of Life for Elsie will be held at Edmonds Lutheran Church on Saturday, January 21 at 2 p.m.   We hope her friends and acquaintances will be able to attend.  

DONATIONS

In lieu of flowers, gifts in her memory may be made to the following organizations at the links below:

Edmonds Senior Center
American Heart Association
Edmonds Lutheran Church - Annie Kitchen