Betty Kruse

Funeral services for Betty Ruth Gustafson Kruse, 84, of Clifton, Texas will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 2, 2023 in the Rosser Funeral Home Chapel in Cleburne, Texas with the Rev. Bob Rainey officiating. Burial will follow at 1 p.m. in the Clifton Memorial Park Cemetery with Jason Kruse, Ricky Gustafson, Teddy Monthey, Tommy Burch, Gerald Manning, and Earl Manning serving as pallbearers.

Betty passed away on August 29, 2023, in Keene, Texas. She was born on the family farm near the Norse community of Bosque County, Texas on December 10, 1938, to Alline (Sellstrom) and Glen Gustafson. She was the youngest of four children. Betty was baptized at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Norse on February 5, 1939, by Pastor P. E. Thorson, and on May 31, 1953, she was confirmed by Pastor Edmund Beaver at the same church. She enjoyed fellowship with her friends in the Luther League.

Betty graduated from Clifton High School in 1957. She continued her education at Draughon's Business College in Dallas and worked at American Standard Plumbing Company.

On May 2,1959 she was married to her high school sweetheart, Kenneth Kruse, at a wedding officiated by Pastor Joel Nelson at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Norse.  During their sixty-three years of marriage, the couple were active members of congregations in Dallas, DeSoto, and Clifton.

Betty was blessed with two sons Stephen and Bryan. She was a wife, homemaker, and the best Mom ever. In 1972 the family moved to DeSoto and built a home there, where they resided until 1986. While in DeSoto, Betty worked as an Administrative Assistant at the school which allowed her to always be available for all the boys’ activities.

The young family enjoyed camping trips with friends and fishing in their boat named Sally. Betty eagerly took Steve and Bryan to youth sports practice and games where she was an enthusiastic fan. On one occasion, she left the stands and ran down the sidelines beside Steve as he headed for the goal line. As the boys grew older, Betty and Kenneth helped develop the DeSoto FFA Ag Boosters.

In 1986 they moved back home to Clifton. Betty worked alongside Ken at Clifton Book Company which specialized in mail order Bibles and Devotional material. The Business was closed in 2000 and at that time Betty began to enjoy her retirement. During their years in Clifton, the couple were patrons of Bosque Museum and supported the Nellie Pederson Library, the Volunteer Fire Department, and the Central Texas Youth Fair.

She enjoyed collecting owl figurines, tending to her flowerbeds, and cooking. Steve remembers her teaching him to make a lemon meringue pie and Bryan was partial to her pecan pie and banana bread.

Kind and gentle in nature, Betty was thoughtful and empathetic toward friends, coworkers, and family. She enjoyed following the activities and accomplishments of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to whom she was known as Memaw or Grandma Kruse.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Kruse; parents, Glen and Alline Gustafson; siblings, Evelyn Carlstad and husband Wallace Carlstad, Charles Gustafson and wife Irene; sister-in-law Joyce Carlstad Gustafson.