Frederick Herman Krause, 90

Frederick Herman Krause, 90, broke camp for one last time on April 12, 2010, at the Montana Veteran s Home in Columbia Falls. Fred was born near Polson to Edith (Rein) and Herman Krause on Jan. 20, 1920, and spent his early years there, before moving with the family to the Bad Rock area near Columbia Falls. He spent time in the Civilian Conservation Corps during the late 30s before moving to the Seattle area. Fred was Dutch Harbor, Alaska, as a civilian worker and was at sea when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was in Dutch Harbor on the two occasions when it was bombed. Returning to Seattle he worked in ship building until he was inducted into the U.S. Navy in 1943. He served with the Navy Construction Battalion CBs. He saw action in the Gilbert and Marshall island campaigns and on Iwo Jima, where he was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on May 13, 1945. Returning to the Flathead after the war, he met and married Minnie Hissong on Sept. 15, 1945, at her parents home in Somers. They were blessed with five children and over 64 years together. Fred was a logger without equal and a road builder. He was always proud of having built the Peter s Ridge Road to the Jewel Basin area. Through the woods weather logging, wood cutting or hunting was his greatest passion. He also farmed for many years west of Whitefish in the Bissell community, one of his special joys was to get the Christmas tree for the Bissell School. Fred was a man who worked hard but cared deeply for others and will be missed. Fred was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters; one brother; and one grandson, Craig. He is survived by his wife, Minnie, at Colonial Manor in Whitefish; one sister, Colleen Schafer, of Bothell, Wash.; daughter, Myrna, and husband, James Dull, of Columbia Falls; sons, Fred Edwin of Columbia Falls, Harold and wife, Caroline, of Whitefish, Mark William of Pablo, and Steven Paul of Homer, Alaska, 13 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. A visitation will be held from 1 to 8 p.m. today, April 22, at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 23, at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls, with Pastor Darrell Newby officiating. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery, with graveside military honors by the United Veterans of the Flathead and the Montana Army National Guard.