Thaddeus “Thad” Krason, 89 of Ord died Sunday, May 8, 2011 at the Valley View Living Center at Ord.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Ord with Father Hubert Spanel officiating along with Father Tom Ryan . Burial will be in the Ord Catholic Cemetery. Military Honors will be presented by the Ord VFW Post #7029 and American Legion Post #38. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 6:00-8:00 p.m. with a Rosary at 7:00 p.m. at the Ord Memorial Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Family’s Choice. Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Thaddeus Leonard Krason was born on October 27, 1921 near Elyria, Nebrasa, the oldest of four children, to Ignatius and Francis (Koziol) Krason. He attended rural schools and graduated from Ord High School in 1940.
Thad was inducted into the U.S. Army on August 6, 1942, and served until his release on January 15, 1946. During his time of service, Thad was in the 242nd Field Artillary Battalion and was involved in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day.
After serving in the Army, Thad returned to the Ord area. At a dance at Jungman Hall near Elyria, he met Lorraine Cerny of Sargent. Shortly thereafter he found employment as a meat cutter at the local grocery store in Sargent. On September 24, 1946, Thad and Lorraine were united in marriage. Thad and Lorraine had two sons, Robert Joseph (Bob) born in 1948, and Leonard LeRoy born in 1950. On March 3, 1949, while expecting their second son, Thad was again called to service to Korea, but was honorably discharged on March 12, 1951, for medical reasons. Thad was a jack-of-all-trades having worked as a meat cutter, carpenter, farmer, and truck driver. At the time of his retirement he had been employed as a monument salesman for Desch-Paine for over twenty years.
Thad had a life-long fascination with rocks and was considered a “rock” hound belonging to a local rock club for many years with his wife Lorraine. During that time he made a lot of beautiful jewelry that Lorraine still wears. After his retirement in 1987, he found a new pastime making rosaries. When he was done, more than twenty years later, he had donated more than 4000 rosaries to the Catholic Missions, along with dozens he gave away as gifts. According to Lorraine, many of the rosaries were made with “Jobs Tears” – a plant with hard bead-like seeds – that they grew themselves.
He was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, and a lifetime member VFW Post #7029 and American Legion Post #38. Thad was a Volunteer Fireman for many years and was a 4th Degree in the Knights of Columbus. Dancing and music were a big part of Thad’s life. He loved to fish and being around his family.
Survivors include his wife, Lorraine of Ord; two sons and two daughters-in-law, Robert “Bob” and Mary Anne of Norwood, CO; and Leonard and Peggy of Ord; three grandchildren, Stephanie Williams, Jennifer Krason-Ulrich and Kevin Krason; and seven great-grandchildren, Jaden, Harley, Jordan, Jackson, Jesse, Damian and June.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Robert and Floyd Krason; an infant sister, JoAnn; a sister, Isabelle Ruzicka and 2 infant granddaughters.
