Allen Kruger was the last of thirteen children born to Alvin Gustav and Esther Caroline (Walk) Kruger of Grafton, IA.  His parents were farmers.  Allen graduated from Grafton High School, Waldorf College, Forest City, IA, and Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN, in 1963 where he majored in psychology, and finished third in his class.

Allen had planned to do graduate work at the University of Wisconsin, however, the Viet Nam war was going full force and there were no student deferments.  He realized then that "Change would be the characteristic of his life." Rather than being on the ground fighting, he joined the Air Force.  He chose the electronics field and specialized in repairing weather equipment for airway runways which he did in Central and South America.

Following the Air Force, he returned to Grafton and when his father became ill, began farming with his brothers, eventually managing the financial operations of the business.  In 1977, he was elected Chairman of the Grafton Centennial Committee, a position that would ignite his hometown loyalty and inspire him to become a strong voice in the community.  The celebration was a three-day event and featured stage coach racing.

After being on the Centennial Committee, he spent more time up town and started reciting poetry with some of the high school students.  Before long, an "Introductory to Philosophy" class was started and that morphed in AKU, Allen Kruger University.  T-shirts were made.  It was fun and some absolute learning was done.  Allen was always game for good conversations and that continued his entire life.

In 1978, he started the Cousins Nursery with a brother and two cousins.  He did this despite not knowing anything about trees.  He learned quickly and Worth and Mitchell Counties are more beautiful because of the over 10,000 trees and shrubs he planted.  Allen built the Archway Center office building on Grafton's main street for the nursery offices and others businesses and the real estate business started.

While still operating the nursery, Allen and another cousin, Stan Walk, bought the Sportsman's Lounge in nearby St. Ansgar.  Under their ownership, the Sportsman's was much, much more than an eating place.  It was a community gathering place where politics, weather and farm prices were discussed.  No subject was taboo!  But what people really came for was the entertainment which was compliments of the Allen and Stan who themselves were the entertainment.  One of their business philosophies was that when they had difficulty training the employees, they had to train the customers instead!

One day, Allen and Stan got the idea of buying up some beautiful land on both sides of the Cedar River which streamed through St. Ansgar.  They jumped on it and bought two farms and the Sleepy Hollow and Cedar Village developments were born and where there are many beautiful homes.

Eventually, Allen decided to move to Bolivar, MO, and do land development there.  He designed plans for Settlers Village and was about to break ground when the 2008 recession hit and home building came to a halt.

The best thing that ever happened as a result of living in Bolivar, was that Allen met Sandra Tedder in 2006. At first glance, it did not seem likely to be a match, he being a land developer and she a professor in botany and biology who just lives for wildflowers.  However, the waitress who served them their first lunch had to shoo them away after four hours because the restaurant was closing!  He wisely made the easy decision to move to Fayetteville, AR, to live with her.  She made the last years of his life the happiest ever.  They enjoyed travelling and keeping company with their many friends.  She eased his pain as his main care giver as he lived with glioblastoma for two years.

Allen had a unique role in the Kruger family.  He knew the family history and stories better than anyone.  He had the closest ties to his parents because of the twenty years of care he did for them as they declined.  Because he was just a few years older ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­than his twenty-six nephews and nieces, he was close to them, especially Neil Kruger.

A memorial is planned for later in the spring.  In lieu of flowers, you may make a contribution to the Defeat GBM Foundation that you can access at : https://secure2.convio.net/bts/site/Donation2?df_id=4401&4401.donation=form1 (the web page has an overview that describes glioblastoma and research being conducted) or make a donation to one of your favorite charities in his name.

Allen is survived by Dr. Sandra Tedder, her daughters Margie Henley, Leah Stone, Amy Cox and her husband Adam Cox, plus grandchildren;  Adri, Lily and Crowley, Jude, Ruthie, Leonard and Omega, and a sister, Deanna Sande of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He is also survived by in-laws, Maxine and Rose Marie Kruger, Philip Erdmann, Robert Wilde and Gary Sande.

He was preceded in death by siblings, Myrtle Davis, Gladys Grant, Dora Runyon, Ruth Erdmann, Clarice Wilde, Walter, Harold, Edward, Harvey, Robert and a brother in infancy, Richard and by his in-laws:  Maxine and Rose Marie Kruger, Philip Erdmann, Robert Wilde, Gary Sande, James Davis, George Grant, J. David Runyon and Juanita, Jacqueline Kruger and nephews Phil Davis, Paul Kruger and infant Eugene and niece Julie Kruger.