Evelyn Kruse

Kruse, Evelyn

Rochester: Passed peacefully, Saturday, September 21, 2013 at age 83. Predeceased by her parents, Anna and Karl Schneider; daughter, Laurie Callerame.

She is survived by her husband, of 64 years, William "Bill" Kruse; daughters, Karen Whitcomb (Welch), Kristine Kruse (Mike Stappenbacher); grandchildren, Jamie Welch (Jessica Saner), Tracy Welch, Deanna Callerame; great-grandchidlren, Brandon Welch, Emily Rivera, Breanna, Deavon, Jaelyn and Teagan Welch.

Private services at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

Leo Center for Caring
1500 Portland Ave.
Rochester, NY 14621

Evelyn was born on May 29, 1930 an only child to Anna and Karl Schneider. When her family lived in Manhattan, her father worked at a Park Avenue Delicatessen and delighted in telling stories of famous people like Greta Garbo, Irving Berlin and Doris Duke who came into the Deli.

She moved to Rochester in 1942 and still lived in the same house. Evelyn married William Kruse on November 5, 1949. She described William as the most kind and considerate person ever. They had three daughters, Karen, Laurie and Kristine. Laurie died at the age of 49 of leukemia. They had three grandchildren, Jamie, Tracy and Deanna. They also had six grandchildren, Brandon, Emily, Breanna, Deavon, Jaelyn and Teagan.

Evelyn worked at the Rochester Community Savings Bank for 52 years. In 1986 Evelyn received the Rochesterian Award from the City of Rochester. The President of the bank submitted her name for this award to people who made Rochester a "friendly place to live and visit."

She worked at St. Ann's and fed the residents. She and William volunteered on Sundays and served over 100 people at the Coffee Hour. When asked why she would spend so much time helping others, Evelyn didn't hesitate to tell you that she learned to be friendly from her mother who was "one of the friendliest people that she has ever known."

"To be yourself is what makes a person happy."

Wisdom from Evelyn~
Her basic wisdom about life is "Smile, everyone understands a smile~ old and young people, men, women, different races and ethnic groups~ all people understand a smile."

Evelyn lived this wisdom in many ways. Her success at the bank was because she loved people and she treated every client with respect. She offers that "to be yourself is what makes a person happy."

When Evelyn talked about her marriage to William, her face lit up. With 64 years of marriage, her wisdom is that love grows over the years. Evelyn adds that it is important to have a sense of humor. William left notes signed by "Billy Boy" and that brought a smile to her face.

As a child living in Long Island she walked up 120 steps to her apartment. This long climb was a metaphor that has helped her deal with difficult situations in her life. She felt the pain of her daughter, Laurie whose fiancée was paralyzed three months before their marriage. Laurie had cancer, that went into remission and then the cancer came back. She died in November of 2006. Evelyn's eyes filled with tears when she spoke of Laurie's death. What helped her most through this devastating experience was to experience the community of Laurie's friends. They spent so much time doing light-hearted acts like transforming her hospital room into an outdoor patio. When Laurie came home, her friends brought their sleeping bags over for a sleep over. The importance of community in life is another one of Evelyn's wisdom.

Evelyn was grateful to her William who kept her smiling with his loving ways when she felt sad. So, she lived her wisdom that "Everyone understands a smile."