Wayne Krueger

Alaska pioneer Wayne “Doc” Krueger, 77, died of natural causes Dec. 1, 2007, at his Hatcher Pass home surrounded by family.

A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m., Dec. 15 at the Gospel Outreach Church at 4800 E. Palmer-Wasilla Highway.

Krueger was born Feb. 2, 1930, in Milwaukee, Wisc., to George and Norma Krueger. His mother died when he was 4 years old, and Krueger was raised by his father and paternal grandmother.

Krueger spent his summers on the family farm in Fond du Lac, Wisc., and learned the meaning of work at an early age. In 1948, he met Gloria, the first and only love of his life. They had been married for 58 years at the time of his death.

At age 19, Krueger started out as a carpenter, and by age 28 he had become a successful architect/home builder in Milwaukee. Then one night shortly after arriving home from work he announced to the family he was going to fulfill his lifelong dream of homesteading in Alaska and asked if anyone wanted to go along. Following a two-week journey up the Al-Can, he and the family arrived in Alaska May 1, 1961. The next day he set out to find land available for homesteading in the Mat-Su Valley.

He found a parcel in Hatcher Pass, complete with Willow Creek, a lake and breathtaking panoramas of the Talkeetna Mountains. Krueger was convinced God had saved it for him. He built the home in which he lived the next 46 years of his life. The family cleared land for planting, and he would proudly proclaim to anyone who would listen that he harvested a crop every fall. In his younger days, Krueger was an avid hunter and fisherman, but snowmobiling was one of his true passions in life. He blazed many trails in his beloved Talkeetnas. The most important thing throughout his life was his God and the study of the Bible. He was a devout member of the Living Church of God for most of his adult life.

Krueger is survived by his wife, Gloria; sister, Georgia Hodnick; children, Michael (Lori) Krueger, Terrance (Susan) Krueger, Kathleen (Roy) Smithson, Steven Krueger, Susan Joans, Mary (Doug) Masters, Peter (Karryle) Krueger, Gloria (Wade) Hart, Rebecca (Daniel) LeFrancois and Wayne Krueger Jr. He is also survived by 22 grandchildren.