Evelyn M. Kraska

Evelyn M. Kraska, 86 year old resident of Swanville, MN, passed away on Thursday, February 5, 2015 at the Long Prairie Nursing Home.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Swanville, MN with Father Ronald Dockendorf officiating. Burial was in the Sacred Heart Parish Cemetery in Flensburg, MN.
Evelyn was born March 23, 1928, at home in Morrison County, to the late Ida Mae and Frank Lincoln Hanson. She graduated from Swanville High School in 1946. After high school she moved to the cities and worked as a housekeeper and nanny. She then worked for several years at Honeywell and Munsingwear. She would hop on the train and street cars to get to work and go shopping. Her fondest memory of that time was running around the cities with her best friend, Marjorie. She was united in marriage to William “Willie” Victor Kraska on August 2, 1953 at Scared Heart Catholic Church in Flensburg. They made their home on the family farm in Culdrum Township. Early in their marriage they enjoyed ice fishing together and they also spent a good deal of time at the Pillsbury Ballroom dancing the night away. Always Willie’s right hand woman, she farmed along side him and, for many years, she ran the farm by herself and raised the children while Willie worked off the farm. She was a very detailed person and took care of the farm bookkeeping. She volunteered at 4-H when her children were young, belonged to the Ladies Auxiliary, and volunteered at the Auxiliary food booth at the Swanville Carnival. After Willie’s death in 1978, she sold the farm to her son and moved ¼ mile up the road. She continued to help with the farm for the next 25 years and especially enjoyed driving the tractor for her son. Her passion for the land was evident even after moving off of the farm, as she never allowed any weeds to grow on her well manicured lawn. She had a “hate/love” relationship with her lawnmower. She would get so mad when it didn’t mow each blade of grass the same height. All through the years, her main priorities were her husband and family. She made many sacrifices to keep the family farm going and to spend as much time as possible with her family.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ida Mae and Frank, husband William “Willie”, and brothers Roy, Frank, Walter, Earl, Howard, Glen; and sisters Violet Steffen and Grace “Rose” Sadlovsky.
Left to cherish her memory are her children, Suzette (John) Dulas of Verndale, Karen (Jeff) Berner of Andover, Frank (Lori) Kraska of Swanville, and Lynn (Jim) Barthel of Swanville; 13 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.
Casketbearers were her nephews, Dale Hanson, Larry Hanson; and grandsons, Josh Kraska, Daniel Barthel, Keith Kraska, and Steve Johannes.