Marcine M. Kreye, 89, passed away on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at Brookside Care Center in Kenosha, WI.
Born in Lake City, MN, on January 28, 1935, she was the daughter of the late Anton and Laura (Kohn) Befort. She was educated at St. Felix Catholic School.
On April 30, 1955, she married Bernard Kreye in Waukegan, IL. He preceded her in death on September 27, 2011.
Marcine was employed as a secretary at Hucker Electric Co. for over 20 years.
She is survived by six children, Jeffrey (Linda) Kreye, Lori Kreye, Julie Kreye, Daniel (Sharon) Kreye, Greg Kreye, and Charlie (Cindy) Kreye; a daughter-in-law, Diane Kreye; 12 grandchildren, Rececca Kreye, Matthew (Crystal) Kreye, Kimberly (Neal) Nichols, Karolyn (Chris) Krucek, Katelyn (Matthew) Fidler, Jayna (Wade Wilcher) Kreye, Colton (Brooke Schroeder) Kreye, Sarah (Drew) Fincher, Amy (Jason) Denikas, Jennifer (Nathaniel) Nadelhoffer, Tiffany Stankiewicz, and Andrew (Alyx Ayers) Kreye; great-grandchildren, Jaden, Arianna, Zephyr, Atreyu, Addison, Marlee, Mabel, Maryn, Ross, Ethan, Nathan, John, Chloe, Lucas, Delilah, Amelia, Emma, Alexandra, Isaac, Bryce, Anna, Maverick, and; three siblings, Florence Roemer, Alvin (Miyoko) Befort, and Anthony (Mary Lou) Befort; and brother-in-law Dean Baker. She is further survived by many loving nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
Aside from her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a son, John Kreye; a grandson, Timothy “TJ” Kreye; and a sister, Yvonne Baker.
Visitation will take place on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at Proko Funeral Home, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 pm. Additional visitation will be held at Abbott Funeral Home in Wabasha, MN. Visitation will be Friday, September 20, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p m. Additional visitation will be held the next day on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at St. Felix Catholic Church from 10:00 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. She will be laid to rest next to her husband in St. Felix Cemetery.
Additional information about Marcine.
Married: April 30, 1955 to Bernard (Benny) Charles Kreye of Wabasha, MN (Parents Henry Kreye and Mary Loechler of Wabasha) They were married 56 ½ years when Benny died on September 28, 2011.
Marcine was born and raised in Wabasha County, MN. Went to St Felix Catholic grade and high school, where the nuns advanced her up an extra grade level at early age, graduating in 1952.
Her mother died after childbirth when she was 5 years old. At the time, her father was not able to take care of 5 children and work. The four youngest went to other family members or friends to be cared for and mom stayed home as she was in 1st grade.
Shortly after, her father was offered a job to run the farm at the Orphanage/Hospital in Wabasha, MN where the three oldest children would stay in the orphanage and their father would see them daily. The two youngest siblings stayed with other families.
Her father met a nurse, Ann Burrichter, at the hospital and they eventually married in 1943. They rented a house in Wabasha and the three older siblings returned to live with them. The two youngest siblings remained with other families, never to be reunited under one roof growing up.
Marcine and the two older siblings only lived at home during the school year. During the summers, the three children were sent out to other families’ and friends’ homes/farms to help with chores and help take care of their children. Her father did his best to visit his children whenever possible and reunite all five children whenever possible.
In high school, she was staying with a family across the street from her best friend, Helen Kreye. This is when she first met her husband, Benny Kreye, one of Helen’s older brothers. Shortly after meeting him and going to a couple of dances at the age of 15, Benny, age 22, surprised her with a tennis bracelet and asked her to marry him. Her reply was ‘Are you kidding, my Dad will kill you?’ She still has that bracelet. Shortly after, they lost contact with each other for a couple of years, as he moved up near the Twin Cities for farm work.
When she graduated high school, she and her best friend moved to Minneapolis, MN for work. After a year or two she moved to Waukegan, IL with her then finance (not Benny), where several family members and friends had gone for jobs. It was there she was reunited with Benny who also had moved to Waukegan for work.
One day in Waukegan, she walked to the pharmacy and unbeknownst to her, she was spotted by Benny. He saw her through a restaurant window as she passed by and as she walked back home, she found him standing in the restaurant doorway, waiting for her. She eventually dumped her finance and got to back together with Benny.
They were married on April 30, 1955, at Immaculate Conception Church in Waukegan, IL. They rented a house on County Street in Waukegan. There they had their first three children, Jeffrey (1956), Lori (1957) and John (1958). They then rented a home in Zion, IL, where the 4th child, Julie (1960) was born.
They bought their first and only home in Beach Park, IL in 1960. There last three children were added to their family, Daniel (1961), Gregory (1962) and Charles (1963).
Marcine and Benny were actively involved in scouting, she as a Den Mother and he as Committee Chairman and Scoutmaster. They thoroughly enjoyed their Scouting years and made many wonderful long-lasting friends. She was also very involved with the PTA and was given lifetime membership by the school.
She worked as a waitress at Howard Johnson’s, in the Deli dept at Jewel Food Store, in the kitchen at the high school, and in the office at Hucker Electric, retiring after 22 years there. She and Benny also found time to run a Pizza Kitchen a couple of nights a week and running the Friday Night Fish Fry at the local Amvets club, throughout their years together.
She was also a member of the Homemakers Extension of the Farm Bureau and a member of the Waukegan Exchangettes Club, which raised money to help the less fortunate. She also volunteered at the church and school.
They enjoyed camping with their family and friends. They enjoyed weekends at their property in Mauston, WI, and spent much of their retired life at the cabin in Minocqua, WI on Squirrel Lake, which they transformed from a rundown shack to a beautiful 3-bedroom cabin.
She loved reading and enjoyed many hobbies including baking, sewing (making many of children’s clothes), crocheting, counter cross stitch, macramé, decorative painting, cake decorating and quilting. She and best friend Janet would organize and have Craft Sales once a year around Thanksgiving. They also catered weddings and parties.
She loved baking best but was also a very good cook. She read cookbooks like they were novels. The cookie jar was always full, and you would most likely find a pan of brownies or cake sitting on the counter as well. She enjoyed making meals when visitors would stop by. Christmas was her favorite holiday; the house was decorated nicely and lots of cookies and candies were made in the few weeks leading up to Christmas.
Most of all, she loved spending time with family and friends. She loved to make people laugh and she loved laughing with them. She never met a stranger. She genuinely cared about and loved learning about everyone she met. She would know their story after a 10-to-20-minute conversation. She would know more about her children’s friends than her children knew.
Due to Medical issues and dementia, she begrudgingly lived her last six and a half years in Assisted Living and Nursing Home facilities.
Overall, she had a great life with a wonderful husband, a great family and many beautiful friends.
“For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:6-7
