Sue E. Kraus, 74, of Cuba City, WI passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Friday, May 8, 2020. Due to the unfortunate time with COVID-19, a public memorial service will be held at a later date. A private family graveside service will be held at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Cuba City, WI; with Pastor Hee-Kwon Jung officiating. The Haudenshield Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Cuba City, WI is serving the family.

Sue was born on November 25, 1945 in Centralia, WA. She was the second born daughter of Stanley D. and Mary Jane (Robinson) Logsdon. In April of 1948, her parents moved their family to Key West, IA, where her father worked for farmers. After a move to Bernard, IA and finally to Cascade, IA, her parents had found their home. Sue attended a one room schoolhouse, Oak School #2, for grades K-8th. She was in the second graduating class of Western Dubuque High School. They kept busy on the farm, plus Sue walked to the neighbors’ homes and sold Christmas cards when she was in the fifth grade and babysat for neighbors during the summer. Between her Junior and Senior year of high school, Sue went to Newport News, VA to babysit children of Army couples, for the summer.

After graduation from high school, her father took her to Dubuque to stay with a friend until she got a room at the YMCA. Sue’s first job was a waitress at Karigan’s Restaurant. That job only lasted 4 days. Then she got the job she really wanted, working in the hospital as a nurse’s aide.

Sue met the love of her life at Melody Mill and thought she would never get to see him again since the Mill was closing at the end of July 1964. Lo and behold, Jim asked to take her home from the last dance…the rest is history. On June 26, 1965 she married James Leo Kraus. Together they farmed just north of Dubuque, IA for three years. On March 1, 1969 they moved their family to Cuba City, WI, to a farm they named Elk Acres and have lived there for over 50 years. Sue helped on the farm right alongside Jim.

She was a member of the Georgetown Homemakers, 4-H, the Cuba City United Methodist Church and The Sarah Circle at the United Methodist Church. She loved to make quilts and table runners; she would hand quilt a lot of them and give them away as gifts. She had made quilts for all of her grandchildren. She enjoyed cross stitching projects, traveling, country western music, feeding & watching birds from her kitchen window, but most of all she enjoyed time spent with her family and friends.

Sue had undergone a stem cell transplant for Multiple Myeloma at the Mayo Clinic in November 2016. She will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her. Sue said she had tried to live her life like her parents taught her, to treat others like how she wanted to be treated and to work hard. If you see something that needs to be done, you do it without being told. Sue would like to ask everyone to be kind to each other as everyone has been to her throughout her journey with cancer.

Sue is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, James Leo; 3 children: Sharon (Andy) Klein of Durango, IA, Michael (Kimberly) Kraus of Cuba City, WI and Brian (Amber) Kraus of Kenosha, WI; 5 grandchildren: Nicholas (Kate) Klein, Megan Klein (special friend, Jef Schilling), Breeann & Rachel Kraus, Dawsyn Kraus and another grandson expected in July 2020; 1 great-granddaughter expected in September 2020. 4 sisters: Nancy (Bill) Macomber Cascade, IA, Dianne Smarr Greenville, SC, Kathy (Paul) Manterach Cascade, IA, and Linda Kushpinsky Marion, IA; 5 in-laws: Jean Nauman Cascade, IA, William (Norma) Kraus Dubuque, IA, Mary (Duane) Kruse Dubuque, IA, Elaine Hildebrand Dubuque, IA, and John (Cheryl) Kraus Galesburg, IL; along with many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and 4 brothers-in-law: Bill “Coach” Smarr, Harry Kushpinsky, Tom Hildebrand and Larry Nauman.

In lieu of plants & flowers, memorials may be given to Multiple Myeloma Research in Rochester, MN, Cuba City Area Rescue Squad, Cuba City Fire Department, Stone Hill Care Center in Dubuque, IA,  Hospice of Dubuque, Dubuque, IA or may be mailed to Haudenshield Funeral Home c/o Sue Kraus Family, BOX 825, Cuba City, WI 53807. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haudenshieldfuneralhome.com

The family would like to extend a special thank you to: Dr. Mark Hermann, Dr. Regan Wolbers, Tony Heiar ARNP and staff, the Wendt Center and staff, and Hospice of Dubuque. Especially to Sue’s Hospice nurses, Jeremiah, Kristin, Amy and Julie. Thank you to all who made encouraging phone calls and to all who sent the beautiful cards that Sue and her family have received since she started her journey with Multiple Myeloma.