He was born March 19, 1946, in the son of William, Sr. and Dorothy (Cadnum) Kraus.
In his early teens, Bill moved with his family to Claremont, NH where he met his future wife while attending Stevens High School. They were married on June 16, 1968.
Bill graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1968 with a B.A. in Psychology. He received his Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological Seminary.
Bills first full-time parish was in Newell, South Dakota. In 1979, he moved with his family to pastor in Kiowa, Kansas, settling in Topeka, Kansas in 1983, to pastor at Seaman Congregational UCC Church. Most recently, Bill was the pastor at Carbondale Community UCC, where he retired on November 12, 2017.
He was a member of First Congregational Church, Santa Fe Singers, Shawnee Choral Society, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Survivors include his daughter and son-in-law, Heidi and Todd Staerkel of Topeka; son, Steven Kraus of Overland Park, KS; his brother and sister-in-law, David and Jackie Kraus of Cornelius, NC; nephew Michael Kraus of Blacksburg, VA and niece and her husband, Meagan and Michael Donohoe of Charlottesville, VA.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Susan and a still-born daughter, Amy.
Bill and Susan loved to travel both in this country and to a number of places around the world. They particularly enjoyed cruising. He also enjoyed vegetable gardening and attending concerts such as Kiss, Iron Maiden and Aerosmith with his son -- a fact he delighted in revealing to surprised parishioners and co-workers. Bill spent 24 years driving school bus for Seaman USD 345, enjoying his students and the people he worked for and with.
He was born March 19, 1946, in the son of William, Sr. and Dorothy (Cadnum) Kraus.
In his early teens, Bill moved with his family to Claremont, NH where he met his future wife while attending Stevens High School. They were married on June 16, 1968.
Bill graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1968 with a B.A. in Psychology. He received his Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological Seminary.
Bills first full-time parish was in Newell, South Dakota. In 1979, he moved with his family to pastor in Kiowa, Kansas, settling in Topeka, Kansas in 1983, to pastor at Seaman Congregational UCC Church. Most recently, Bill was the pastor at Carbondale Community UCC, where he retired on November 12, 2017.
He was a member of First Congregational Church, Santa Fe Singers, Shawnee Choral Society, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Survivors include his daughter and son-in-law, Heidi and Todd Staerkel of Topeka; son, Steven Kraus of Overland Park, KS; his brother and sister-in-law, David and Jackie Kraus of Cornelius, NC; nephew Michael Kraus of Blacksburg, VA and niece and her husband, Meagan and Michael Donohoe of Charlottesville, VA.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Susan and a still-born daughter, Amy.
Bill and Susan loved to travel both in this country and to a number of places around the world. They particularly enjoyed cruising. He also enjoyed vegetable gardening and attending concerts such as Kiss, Iron Maiden and Aerosmith with his son -- a fact he delighted in revealing to surprised parishioners and co-workers. Bill spent 24 years driving school bus for Seaman USD 345, enjoying his students and the people he worked for and with.
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