The Rev. Robert L. Kruger, 78, of Rock Island, passed away Saturday,

June 14, 2014, at UnityPoint Health-Trinity Rock Island.

Services will be 11 a.m., Thursday at St. James Lutheran Church, Rock

Island. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at

Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Rock Island, with additional visitation

Thursday at St. James Lutheran Church from 10 a.m. to service time.

Burial will be at Chippiannock Cemetery. Memorials may be given to St.

James Lutheran Church.

Robert was born on April 24, 1936 in Manly, Iowa, the son of Alvin and

Esther Walk Kruger. He graduated from Waldorf College, Forest City,

Iowa, and St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., with a Bachelor of Arts

Degree in 1959. He received a Master of Divinity from Northwestern

Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and was ordained in 1963

celebrating fifty years of ministry in 2013.

Rev. Kruger was a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of

America and was a retired clergy of the Minneapolis Area Synod. He

served Grace Lutheran Church in Wayzata, Minn., (1963-1969) and East

and West Lutheran Churches in Carver, Minn., (1969-1994). After

retirement he moved to Northfield, where he lived until 2002. He moved

to Rock Island to live with Dr. William Hiebert, a seminary classmate.

During his retirement years in Rock Island, he often supplied at many

area churches including First Lutheran and St. James Lutheran Churches

in Rock Island and Calvary Lutheran and First Lutheran churches in

Moline.

He enjoyed watercolor painting, storytelling, reading and travel. He

was skilled in writing and graphic design work was first developed

working on the high school newspaper. He managed the college yearbook

publication and later served as editor of the Minnesota Lutheran

newsletter for many years.

Survivors include his siblings, Allen Kruger, Dora Runyon, Ruth

Erdmann, Clarice Wilde, Deanna Sande and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his sisters, Myrtle Davis and Gladys

Grant, and brothers, Walter, Harold, Edward, Harvey and an infant

brother, Richard.