Lillian Faye (Grogan) Kraus

Lillian “Lil” Faye Kraus, 92, of Keokuk, passed away on Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at her home in Keokuk.

Lil was born on January 17, 1928, in Keokuk, the daughter of John (Jack) and Hazel (Collins) Grogan. She graduated from St. Peter’s High School in 1944, and was united in marriage to Joseph A. Kraus on May 13, 1950, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Keokuk.

A lifelong resident of Keokuk and a member of All Saints Catholic Church, Lil was very involved in the church, actively serving with Christian Family Movement (CFM) and the Ladies of Charity. She was employed at Keokuk Steel Castings in payroll and accounts receivable, working there before and after raising her children. She was a voracious reader, reading two to three books a week. Highly intelligent but also unassuming, Lil graduated high school at age 16, with a 4.0 GPA. She learned Morse Code by the age of four and could type at incredible speeds. She was very proud of her Irish heritage, and her children remember being rocked to sleep to the sound of Irish lullabies. Lil was also an excellent cook, and gladly shared her recipes with her friends and family. Her German potato salad was frequently requested for parties and gatherings. Above all else, Lil was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Her life revolved around her family. She was a great listener and offered sage and practical advice. She led this large family by example. 

Lil is survived by her husband Joseph A. Kraus of Keokuk; seven children: Joseph M. Kraus of Iowa City, Iowa, Timothy J. (Jan) Kraus of Cape Coral, Florida, Nancy J. (Randy) Derr of Keokuk, Mary Jo (Rick) Gray of Keokuk, Michael J. (Kim) Kraus of Lakemoor, Illinois, Teresa J. (John) Phillips of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and Christopher J. (Laura Cruz) Kraus of Thousand Palms, California; two sisters: Sue (Keith) Fink and Kaye Vollers; two daughters-in-law: Sarah and Terry Kraus, both of Keokuk; four sisters-in-law: Geraldine Grogan, Judy Grogan, Sara Humphrey and Diana Grogan; thirty-two grandchildren; fifty great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.  

Lil is preceded in death by her parents John and Hazel Grogan, two sons: Gregory E. and Daniel J. Kraus, and six siblings: Ellen Marie, Tom Grogan, Jean (John) Ketterer, Gerard Grogan, James Michael Grogan and John William Grogan.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 am on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at All Saints Catholic Church in Keokuk, with burial to follow in the Catholic section of Oakland Cemetery in Keokuk. We understand that some may be hesitant to join us due to health or Covid concerns, and are invited to attend virtually by accessing the following All Saints website. Lil’s funeral mass will be live-streamed at https://www.allsaintskeokuk.org/live.html. Visitation will be held on Monday from 2 to 7 pm, with family meeting friends from 4 to 7 pm at DeJong-Greaves-Printy Funeral Home, 917 Blondeau Street, Keokuk, Iowa. A Christian Vigil Service will be held at 7 pm on Monday at the funeral home directly following the visitation. The Christian Vigil Service will be live-streamed via Facebook live at the DeJong-Greaves-Printy Funeral Home Facebook page.

For the safety of those attending, masks are strongly encouraged, and social distancing practices will be in place.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to All Saints Catholic Church in Keokuk or the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

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