Lothar Egon KRUEGER

Egon Krueger was born and raised in a borough of Berlin called Pankow. At age 14, as was customary at the time, he went into apprenticeship as a baker. When World War II broke out he entered the Deutsche Marine, the German Navy. He was taken prisoner and spent much of the war interned in Marseille. His father was also enlisted in the war effort but did not return home, leaving Egon’s mother to raise the family of five by herself.

After the war, he began corresponding with his future wife Dora and they married in 1949. At the time he was working in a large foundry in Dortmund where he, and eventually their two young children, lived in a converted automobile garage. When told that the possibility of an apartment was years away, he and his family emigrated to Canada where his brother and sister, and their families had already settled.  In 1954, he travelled alone with his German Shepherd in order to pave the way for his wife and children to follow, a ship journey that took almost two weeks in those days.

Once in the Cambridge area (formerly Galt), he and his family settled on a ten-acre hobby farm close to Glen Morris. Although he continued to work as a welder, the hot and physically demanding labour took its toll. The farm proved a welcome diversion, particularly when he was able to saddle up horses and ride with his daughter, Irene. Although he never did work as a baker he never forgot how to create a sourdough loaf of bread and occasionally startled the family by creating elegant Danish pastries. During this time he bred German Shepherds, hunted and fished, and raised a variety of different types of animals on the farm. His wife Dora baked every single Saturday in anticipation of the regular weekend visitors who came from the city to visit the farm.  There were regular parties with everyone dancing and musicians playing. After one particularly memorable conga line the foundation of the house had to be rebuilt.  Egon loved music, played both the accordion and the piano, and gave his son Guenther his first music lessons.

In 1972, he and Dora moved to Vancouver Island where his daughter Irene and her husband had already settled. His son Guenther joined them seven years later and the family was once again quite close geographically. During this time he and his wife had a series of boats and sailed up and down the coast of Vancouver Island. Egon had salt water in his veins and was happiest when he was manning the till. Settling in Nanoose Bay, he and his wife later moved into Parksville to be closer to services.  For the last 10 years he had extensive medical problems, all expertly handled by Dr. Garth Loughead.

He is predeceased by his sisters Wally and Charlotte and his brother Hans; survived by brother Karl Heinz in Cologne, Germany.  His wife of 64 years, Dora, predeceased him by nine days.

Egon is remembered by daughter Irene, her husband Victor, and their daughter Jessica along with his son Guenther and his partner Barry. Friends and family throughout the province, in Ontario and in Germany will also remember him fondly. Egon died peacefully at Little Mountain Manor in Parksville and the family is grateful for the excellent care he received there.  Once his beloved wife Dora of 64 years was gone, his abiding wish was to be reunited with her.

The interment service is private for the immediate family.  A reception  to celebrate the couple’s life will be held on Sunday, September 15th at 747 Doehle Avenue in Parksville from 1:00 pm to 5 :00 pm.  Please drop by at any time.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Egon’s memory  to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association, PO Box 364, Errington, BC  V0R 1V0.