Zoan Kraft, 90

Aug. 23, 1930 —

May 10, 2021

 

FORMERLY RICEVILLE - Zoan Kraft, age 90, formerly of Riceville, Iowa passed away on Monday, May 10, 2021 at Hillview Nursing Home in LaCrosse, Wis. 

Funeral services were held on Monday, May 17, 2021 at Lindstrom Funeral Home in Cresco. Interment was at the Saratoga Cemetery. Lindstrom Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements. 

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 17, 2021 at Lindstrom Funeral Home in Cresco, Iowa. A public visitation will be held prior to services, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Interment will be located at the Saratoga Cemetery. Lindstrom Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. 

On Aug. 6, 1950, Zoan married the love of her life, Leo Kraft, in Lake City. To this union, five children were born. Her working career not only included taking care of her family, but was filled with time spent as a bookkeeper, secretary and tax preparer. Zoan worked for H&R Block for three years before opening her own tax preparation business out of her home. She was a bookkeeper at the Riceville Sale Barn for several years, and later retired after 20 years with A&K in Lime Springs. 

Retirement took Leo and Zoan to a new status as snowbirds. They enjoyed spending the winter months in Mission, Texas and summers in Riceville. Over the years, they enjoyed several trips with the Farm Bureau as the Iowa Delegates. This was a wonderful opportunity for them to see the country and meet new friends along the way. 

Zoan loved to spend time in the garden. Planting flowers and raising vegetables was a time that she and Leo enjoyed together. There were many hours spent freezing sweetcorn, canning veggies and making jams and jellies. She raised and butchered many chickens and fixed the best fried chicken and potato salad around. 

She enjoyed crocheting and working on mission quilts with the ladies at church. The church and her faith were very important to Zoan. She was the first female elder at Saratoga Presbyterian Church and also served in many other leadership positions. She was a beautiful singer and a member of several choirs and shared her voice at many weddings, funerals and special events in the area. 

She loved her family and will be greatly missed. Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Suanne (Al Olson) Kraft of Viroqua, Wis., Kevin (Debbie) Kraft of Timberlake, N.C. and Rebecca (Tom) Murphy of LaCrosse; daughters-in-law Kris Kraft of Lime Springs, Iowa and Roxanne Kraft of Cresco; and 16 grandchildren, Dustin (Emily) Kraft, Lacie (Tom) Westendorf, Drew (Kayla) Kraft, Ethan (Ashley) Kraft, Melissa (Dean) Macal, Charles (Amy) Kraft, Amanda (Jon) Daly, Danny (Kim) Kraft, Sarah (Jason) Melde, Kari (Robby) Burge, Meghan (Britney) Kraft, Abbi (Jeff) Mickler, Trevor Kraft, Shelbi (Tyler) Wendtland, Britny Murphy and Cody (Shona) Murphy, along with 28 great-grandchildren.

Zoan was preceded in death by her husband, Leo; two sons, Stephen and Charles Kraft; and a son-in-law, Michael Heal.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 am on Monday, May 17, 2021 at Lindstrom Funeral Home in Cresco. A public visitation was held prior to services beginning at 9:30 am. Interment located at the Saratoga Cemetery. Lindstrom Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.