George Kroeger Jr.

George Kroeger – Born Sept 19, 1928…February 7, 2024 at the age of 95 passed away peacefully with his family by side.

Born on Sept 19th, 1928 in Herbert, SK then quickly moved to Blue Ridge, AB and then Namaka, AB. The 3rd of 11 children. George kicked off his incredible journey soon after moving from Alberta to the family farm in the Oakleigh (Oakview) Manitoba District. Living approximately half way between the towns of Rivers and Rapid City, MB on that family farm.

With the love of family, sports (mostly fastball), hard farm work, and even harder carpentry construction work. He also LOVED music and self taught himself to play many musical instruments including the banjo, steel guitar, acoustic guitar, violin and even the mouth organ.

After he finished school he worked as a caterpillar operator for the Highways, then worked at the former Rivers air base as the carpenter foreman for a number of years. After retirement from the Military Air Base, he went into full time house building…and upon his 70th birthday his sons made a video of all the houses, garages, and even apartment blocks in Brandon and the Rivers area and found 38 house related buildings that he built from the footings right up and including the roofs and shingling.

In 1952 George married the love of his life Katie Fast and together they created their beautiful family of 3 boys Garry, Bill (Cathy), Dale (Kelli). From them there were now 2 grandchildren Ashley (Rick) and Kelsey (Kyle); 3 great grandchildren Liam, Anna and Kendall; and 2 step-granddaughters Jessica and Julie.

George engaged in everything from playing music with a band and then with musical wife Katie of 71 years at home, also playing fastball, building/repairing carpentry related jobs. He even made all the family urns, including his own. He LOVED gardening and especially starting his tomato plants off early. Some years he would grow as many as 50 tomato plants in the summer starting them indoors and with that he usually had tomatoes growing on them as soon as March. He also served as Rivers town councillor for 8 years.

George was predeceased by his parents George Sr. and Katherina Kroeger; brothers Peter (Helen), Edwin, and Henry (Selma); and brothers in-law Tom Johnson, John Krahn, and Eric Martens.

Besides his immediate family, George is lovingly remembered by his siblings Helen, Katie (Bill), Margaret, Hertha, John (Mavis), Jake (Lynn), and Marion; and numerous nieces and nephews.

We would like to give a special thank you to the Riverdale Hospital and all their staff as well as the Brandon General Hospital and their staff.

In lieu of flowers we would be grateful for donations to be made in George’s memory to the Rivers United Church, Box 444, Rivers, MB, R0K 1X0; Royal Canadian Legion Branch #75, Box 37, Rivers, MB, R0K 1X0; Riverdale Health Centre Palliative Care, payable to Prairie Mountain Health, Box 428, Rivers, MB, R0K 1X0; or to the Riverdale Municipality, designated to the Riverdale Community Garden, Box 520, Rivers, MB, R0K 1X0.

A celebration of life service will be held at the Rivers United Church, Rivers, MB on Friday, April 19, 2024 at 10:30am. Reception will be held at the Rivers Royal Canadian Legion Hall. Private interment will take place at the Rivers Cemetery.

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