Denton “Denny” Charles Kruger

Denton ‘Denny’ Charles Kruger died peacefully in his sleep on November 27, 2021, surrounded by his loved ones. Denny was born to Donald and Leona Kruger on January 31, 1956. He grew up having adventures in his hometown of George, Iowa.  He was always hunting and fishing for walleye and crappie.  He and his friends were known for getting into mischief when they got together.  He moved to Wichita in 1978 and worked for Boeing/ Spirit Aerosystems for the last 31 years of his career before retiring in 2016.

He met the love of his life, Diane, and they were married 10 short weeks later on December 21, 1990. They had four children together and made thousands of cherished memories.

Denny was always full of laughter and life. He had always said it would be a cold day in hell when he got married and wouldn’t you know, it was so cold the day they got married that the pipes froze and there was no running water at church. He worked hard, providing a great life for his family, but lived for having adventures as well. There was rarely a dull moment with Denny around.

His favorite pastime was fishing and hosting fish fries for friends and family. He was opinionated and stubborn, and the best Pinochle partner you could ask for. He was fiercely proud of his children and loved being a grandpa. He loved traveling with his wife and up until the end, he just wanted to make sure that she was taken care of.  He tried being a prickly old man (his nickname since childhood was Cactus) but was the biggest softie when it came to his family.  He loved telling us stories about all of his adventures. We were never really sure that all his stories were true, but he never backed down and always stuck to it.  Our favorite story that he told was the time he met Jesus in the form of a beaver while stranded on a lake during a severe thunderstorm. He loved sports, especially the Iowa Hawkeyes, and anything his children were involved in.

Denny is survived by his wife, Diane Kruger of Goessel, KS, and his four children, Destini (Brice) Wilson of Oakdale, Connecticut, Derek Kruger of Kansas City, Kansas, D’Ambra (Justin) Hinsley of Park City, Kansas, and Dane Kruger of Hays, Kansas; two grandchildren, Isabella and Leo Wilson of Oakdale, Connecticut, two brothers, Doug (Marcene)Kruger of New Bern, NC, Daryl Kruger of Wichita, Kansas, and one sister, Lori (Todd) Carstensen of George, Iowa, many nieces, nephews and cousins, and many, many dear friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Leona Kruger of George, Iowa and brother David Kruger of Wichita, Kansas.

A Celebration of Life will occur in May 2022 at Marion Lake. Details will be forthcoming as plans are secured.