Charles Kenneth Krause

Charles Kenneth Krause “Chuck” passed away May 1, 2023 in Mansfield, Texas. He was born on August 24, 1930 in Mt. Clemens, MI to Albert and Florence Krause of Romeo and Washington Michigan respectively.

Chuck graduated from M.C.H.S. in 1949, where he played French horn in the high school band and orchestra for 4 years as well as varsity tennis for 4 years. He attended Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University) in Ypsilanti, MI from September 1949 to June 1951 in the school of pre-engineering before transferring to the university of Michigan in September 1951. While at Ypsilanti, he played on the tennis team for both years. Chuck graduated from the University of Michigan in 1954 with a BS degree in electrical engineering. At the beginning of his last year in college he married Berniece Diener (Class of 51) who worked in Ann Arbor and put him through his last year. One week before graduation ceremonies in June of 1954, he was drafted into the Army and in basic training at Camp Chaffee, Ark. Most of his two years of service were spent at 2nd Army Headquarters in Ft Meade Md. He worked for the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) director and allocated excess miliary communications equipment to civilian HAM operators, while Berniece was a secretary for the NIKE sit operations.

After his military discharge in June 1956, he was employed by Chrysler Missile in Sterling Heights, MI for about 7 years and worked on the Redstone and Jupiter missiles’ ground electrical test equipment. From May 1963 to June 1980, I worked for LTV on the LANCE missile program in the same Sterling Heights facility. When the LANCE missile engineering services program moved back to Texas, he moved to Mansfield, TX. While his initial responsibility on the missile program was in the design and development of specialized electronic ground test equipment, he retired in May 1993 as project engineer for all missile electronics. This effort resulted in trips to Europe, the last of which were the NATO test facility in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg and Aachen, Germany where he made a presentation of new test equipment at the NATO maintenance officers annual meeting.

In Mansfield, he was an active member in the St. John Lutheran Church. He was one of the founding members that started the Church in the old Mansfield Bank downtown in September 1980 and was active in renovating the Farr Best Theater for the first church service in October 1980. He was chairman of the congregation for over 6 years, including when the new church was built and originally dedicated on Debbie Lane in 1989. He was also a member of the Senior Citizens Advisory Board in 1997 to evaluate facilities for a new senior citizen center. This effort resulted in the center being a part of the new Mansfield Activity Center dedicated in 2001. He has been a member of the Walnut Creek Country Club since June 1980 where he played both golf and tennis. In 1985, he won the Mens Singles Club Championship. He loved contract bridge and was a member of the local American Contract Bridge League.

He is survived by his beloved Wife, Berniece; daughter Sheri Kleopfer of Shelby Township MI; sons, Mark Krause and wife, Gwynne, of Sioux Falls, SD and Michael Krause and wife, Rejana, of Colleyville, TX; and grandchildren Emily Kurth and husband, David, of Monroe, MI, Sarah Biggers and husband, Rashad, of Madison, AL, Nicholas Krause, Cameron Krause, Timothy Krause or Sioux Falls, SD, Macie Krause and Cole Krause of Colleyville, TX.

In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. John Lutheran Church in Mansfield.