Peter J. Kruse, 83, of Grand Island, NE died Monday, March 31, 2025, at CHI Health St. Francis with his family at his side.  Visitation will be Sunday, April 6, 2025, from 5 – 7 p.m. at Curran Funeral Chapel.  Interment will be Monday April 7, 2025, in the Grand Island City Cemetery with a 11:30 a.m. committal service, followed by a Celebration of Life service at 1 p.m. at Curran Funeral Chapel.  The Rev. Sheri Lodel officiating.  The service will be livestreamed at Curran Funeral Chapel's Facebook page.  Refreshments will be served following the service in the community room at Curran Funeral Chapel.  You are encouraged to sign Pete's guestbook at www.curranfuneralchapel.com under his obituary.  Curran Funeral Chapel is assisting the family.

Peter J Kruse was the eldest of P.M. (Pete) and Frances (Molyneaux) Kruse's five children.  He was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 7, 1941. Pete's father left the farm in Palmer, Nebraska to find work in New York and there he met Pete's mother. They had two more boys, Gary and Steve, and after the war, they packed up the three boys and moved to Grand Island, Nebraska in 1947. It was in Grand Island where his two sisters, Betty (BK) and Georgia were born.

Pete attended elementary school in Grand Island, at Dodge and Trinity Lutheran, (where he was confirmed) Walnut Junior High and Grand Island Senior High School graduating in 1959. He attended college at Kearney State College (now the University of Nebraska at Kearney) and graduated in 1964 with a BS degree majoring in mathematics and minors in Physics and Spanish.

He and Sandra Riessland, were married in 1964 and they lived in Denver for a year and moved back to Grand Island in 1965. To this union a daughter, Sloan Marie, was born. She was born on Pete and Sandy's 10th Wedding Anniversary. After their divorce, his daughter and her mother moved to California and Pete traveled to see her often when she was growing up. She and her dad talked daily.

In 1965, the Superintendent of North Loup Scotia Schools, Virgil Ferguson, contacted Pete about teaching math in the high school there. Pete was awarded an emergency certificate to teach and he taught math there from 1965 to 1968. From 1968 through 1973, Pete taught math and coached at Grand Island Senior High. He was the head cross country coach and assistant track coach and his 1970 team won the State Cross Country Meet.

After teaching, Pete became part owner and eventually the owner and manager of the Red Baron Lounge in Grand Island. Pete sold the business after having it for 13 years.  His remaining years of employment consisted of managing Images Lounge in the South Locust Holiday Inn and worked at Atch's Steak House and Lounge and finished out his working years as an accountant for BH & Associates, U-Auto-Buy car dealership and for the offices of Kruse and Happold. He retired in 2011.

Pete took great pride in his appearance and was never seen out socially without one of his many sports jackets and hair perfectly quaffed. Always the gentleman.

Pete enjoyed softball and managed and played the game in both the city and Platt Duetsche leagues. He also played and managed a flag football team that went undefeated for three years. An avid fan, Pete loved the Dodgers and everything Huskers.

On June 25th 1994, Pete and Denice Larsen were married.  From this union, Pete gained a step-daughter.  Denice's daughter Kylee and Pete's daughter Sloan were a year apart in age and they each gained a sister from this marriage.

Pete is survived by his wife Denice, his daughter Sloan (Jamie) Power of San Diego, step-daughter Kylee (Monte) McNeil of North Platte. Grandchildren Taylor, Colton, Ivy, Alex, Jake, and Emily.  Brother Gary (Cindy) of Highlands Ranch, CO, and Sister-in-Law Nancy Kruse of North Platte and sisters Betty (BK) (Rick) Kapernick of Los Alamos, NM and Georgia (Tom) Thompson of Lincoln, NE. Pete is also survived by Denice's siblings, Gail (Aziz) Khasawneh, Linda Olson, JoAnne (Daryl) Wilson and Ron (Cheryl) Larsen.  Pete is survived also by many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends and an honorary sister, Mary Jayne Langan Schroder.

Pete was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Steve Kruse, and sister-in-law Patricia Kruse and brothers-in-law Roger Snyder and Darrel Olson.