Elna M. Krueger

Elna M. Krueger passed away on January 21, 2026, in Madison.

She was born on June 4, 1935, in Rapid City, South Dakota, to James (Jens) and Anna (nee Larsen) Matthesen. She grew up in Butte County, four miles south of Nisland. She was baptized in the Congregational Church and confirmed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. After high school, she was accepted at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in 1952. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and taught high school speech and English in Howard Lake, Minn. for two years.

She married Lee C. Krueger of Sleepy Eye, Minn. on March 21, 1959. They had two daughters, Elise and Karyn. Elna was a substitute teacher in Markesan in the early years. She attended the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh, taking courses in Library Science. She was the librarian at Markesan High School for two years and assistant librarian at the Markesan Public Library for 20 years.

She was a charter member of Faith Lutheran Church of Markesan. As a volunteer, she taught communication and speech in the middle grade and upper grade classrooms at Faith Lutheran School. She enjoyed gardening, sewing, being a 4-H leader, church activities, and historical society volunteer work. She also loved their trips to Denmark and Germany and the many winters they spent in Sun City, Arizona.

Elna will be remembered with special affection for her kindness, wit, and sense of humor. She was caring and loyal and could be very accommodating without losing her sense of independence. She was very creative with words, design, and use of color. A humble and grateful person, she was a voracious reader and wrote many songs and poems, some of which were published and given special recognition.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, her parents, her sister Mae, and her sister-in-law Judy Winer as well as aunts, uncles, and first cousins in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Denmark.

She is survived by her daughters and their husbands, Elise Matthesen (John Ladwig) and Karyn Krueger (Curtis Personke); her brother James Matthesen (Judy); nephews Sean Heitz (Keli), Kerry Heitz (Lisa), and Peter Matthesen; brothers-in-law Lynn Krueger (Jane) and Mike Winer; nieces Rebecca Peter (Justin) and Jennifer Winer, and other cousins, family, and special friends.

A memorial will be held on Saturday, January 31, at Faith Lutheran Church in Markesan. Gathering will begin at 10 a.m. followed by the service at 11 a.m. All are invited to a fellowship lunch following the service. You may view the memorial service for Elna here.

Memorial gifts may be directed to Faith Lutheran School, Markesan Public Library, or other charities supporting literacy or theater arts.