Earl W. Krenz

Earl William Krenz, 93, of Idaho Falls, died the morning of January 30, 2017 after a brief illness. He was a hard-working, studious man with a prodigious memory, and loved to regale us with stories of the many curious, fascinating, and spectacular events of his early life in Saskatchewan. He was born August 2, 1923 to Julius F. and Hulda Scheuneman Krenz in Virginia, Nebraska. In 1930 the family moved to the prairie near Eston, Saskatchewan to start a wheat farm, and he attended schools there, in Calgary, and in Los Angeles. He obtained a Bachelor's degree (with distinction) in civil engineering from the University of Saskatchewan in 1946, and a Master's degree from Purdue University in 1964. He worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers in the Pacific, for Amoco in Illinois, North Dakota, and Indiana, and as City Engineer of Wood River, Illinois. Starting in 1963, he worked for Argonne National Laboratory in Idaho as the Civil Structural Group Leader. After retirement he volunteered with AARP Tax-Aide and later was appointed District Coordinator for the area. He met Juanita "Bo" Bobo in Okinawa after the war, and they were married on March 5, 1947 in Manila, Philippines. They came back to the states to start their family and eventually moved out west and fell in love with the beautiful state of Idaho. They travelled throughout the United States and into Mexico, Canada, and up to Alaska. Earl enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and playing bridge, and led hundreds of family weenie roasts over the decades. He was generous in thought and deed to all his family, both near and far. He was preceded in death by his wife Bo, his son James, his parents, and 5 siblings. He is survived by his son Robert (Kathleen) Krenz, daughters Claudia Krenz, Carol Gyllenspetz, and Connie (Dave) Eldredge, sister Bernice Schumacher, 4 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, and dear friend Betty Williams. Friends and family will meet at Buck Miller Hann Funeral Home (825 E 17th) on Wednesday, February 15th from 5-7pm. In his honor, the family asks that we all sharpen our critical thinking skills.EARL W. KRENZ