Philomena "Minnie" Krous, 91, Bismarck, died May 17, 2013, at St. Vincent's Care Center.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday at 12:00 Noon at Church of St. Mary in Bismarck with Rev. Msgr. Gene Lindemann officiating. Burial will be at Menoken Cemetery.

Visitation will be Wednesday from 6:00 – 9:00 PM at Eastgate Funeral Service in Bismarck where a vigil/rosary service will begin at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue on Thursday one hour prior to the service at the church.


Minnie was born March 13, 1922, on the family farm south of Almont, ND, the second of 15 children. Her parents were Marcus and Katherine (Ehrmantraut) Fitterer. After graduating from the 8th grade, she left school to help her parents on the farm for several years before moving to Bismarck at the age of 21, where she worked as a waitress at St. Alexius Hospital.

On October 18, 1948, Minnie married George Krous at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bismarck, ND. They lived and farmed in the Gladstone area until 1951, when they moved to Driscoll, ND to continue farming and to begin to raise their family. They lived there until their retirement in 1981, when they moved back to Bismarck.

After the death of her husband, George on May 1, 1995, Minnie continued living in their home for several more years, then moving a couple more times until finally settling at St. Vincent's Care Center in 2010.

Over the course of her life, Minnie took on many roles including that of wife, farmer and mother to eight children. She was a faithful woman who was active within the St. Anthony's Catholic Church congregation in Driscoll during her residence there. She was a hard-working, practical, loving woman with a sense of humor. She enjoyed an array of hobbies including crocheting, quilting, listening to music, gardening and solving puzzles of all kinds. Most of all, she enjoyed spending time with her large family.

Minnie is survived by her eight children, Ethel (Clarence) Heinle, Woodworth, ND, Luella (Francesco) Santelli, Clifton, NJ, Ron (Mona Morris) Krous, Steele, ND, Wendelyn (Jody Simonson) Krous, Sterling, ND, Marlene (Bernard) Heinz, Colby, KS, Leon (Ana) Krous, Sylmar, CA, Allen (Michelle) Krous, Lakeview Terrace, CA, Karen (Brian) Hahn, Bismarck, ND; twenty-three grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren; three brothers, Alphonse Fitterer, Steele, ND, Sylvester Fitterer, Long Beach, CA, and Marcus Fitterer, Richland, WA; three sisters, Marion Staton, Eugene, OR, Magdalena Felton, Eugene, OR, and Florence Dougherty, Tazwell, TN; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, mother, husband, one grandson, six sisters and one brother and one sister in infancy.

Source: Eastgate & Parkway Funeral & Cremation Service