James Kraus, known to family and friends as Jim, was born on December 7, 1939, in Chicago, IL, to Lawrence and Vadis Kraus. Jim was the youngest of their two sons. Jim's brother, Robert Kraus, preceded Jim in death.
In 1960, Jim met Charlotte Marie Rehling in a sociology class. After a two-year courtship, they married in 1962. They were blessed with two sons, William Lyall Kraus and Michael James Kraus. Between the birth of their sons, a daughter, Kimberly Lynn, was born in 1966. She died in infancy due to a congenital heart defect.
Michael is married to Tiffany Marie, nee Lehman. They have four children: Michael, Jr., Timothy, Maximilian and Tessa, Jim's grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two infant grandsons, Jacob and Thaddeus Kraus. Jim is survived by a niece, Karen Berry; two nephews, Lawrence Kraus and Robert Kraus; grand-nieces and a grand-nephew. A son, Anthony Mack, was adopted as a child when Jim's first wife remarried, and they had two daughters.
As a resident of Chicago, Jim attended St. Leo Elementary School and Calumet High School. He moved to southern California in his senior year and graduated from Verdugo Hills High School. During high school, Jim was a wide receiver on the football team. Interest in the sport became a life-long passion. While employed full-time, Jim earned degrees in Business Administration; his Bachelor’s Degree at Northwestern in 1970 and Master's Degree at DePaul in 1976.
Jim was employed by Johnson & Johnson for 10 years in various departments: distribution, quality control and production. He retired in 2002 from Skil-Bosch after 32 years of service, initially in distribution and later in marketing. Jim was proud of his accomplishments in product development and earned patents. He was the product manager for the Skil Saw and other products. His employment afforded opportunity to travel extensively within the U.S. and abroad. Between business and pleasure, Jim traveled to all 50 states and 39 countries. His favorite destination was a vacation in Egypt to behold the ancient pyramids and travel the Nile. Jim had an avid interest in history and archeology. With an excellent memory for facts & information, he shared interesting stories of his travels and life experiences.
Jim and Charlotte raised their sons in the Chicago western suburb of Lombard, Illinois. Jim was a family man and attended church regularly and participated in his community. In Lombard he was a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. In Arizona, Jim was a member of Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa where he served as a team leader in building homes for Habitat for Humanity and was on the Endowment Committee. In both congregations he served as an usher and on the finance committees. Jim lived in Illinois until his retirement in 2002 when he and his wife, Charlotte, moved to Gold Canyon, Arizona. Upon moving to O'Fallon, Jim's church membership was transferred to Faith Lutheran Church.
Jim served on the Board of the Bill George League when his son, Mike, was a player on the local football team. Jim frequently volunteered to record the statistics during the football games. William “Byll” and Mike participated in Indian Guides. One highlight occurred when Jim and several dads, assisted by their sons, designed and constructed a float for the annual Lombard Lilac Parade. It was a replica of the ship from Pirates of Penzance and won first place in the nonprofessional category. Besides being a supportive father, Jim was devoted to his pet cats - King Tut, Willie Wildcat (named after the Northwestern mascot) and Sparky (named after the ASU mascot), as well as his childhood pet dog, Dottie.
When Jim wasn't busy traveling, he was busy maintaining his home to keep it operating up to par. There was no job that he wouldn't tackle - electrical, plumbing, painting, constructing a recreational room, etc. He was an all-around handyman. He even did car maintenance by changing the oil or replacing the brakes. He enjoyed gardening, especially planting rose bushes. The blooms in AZ were as large as oranges and as many as 50 grew on one bush! When Jim visited Charlotte at the hospital after Byll's birth in June, he announced, "All of the diapers are in bloom." Jim apparently associated Byll's birth with his roses. Yes, life changed and bloomed in many new and exciting directions during Jim’s 85 years.
Jim had a life-long passion for college football. He did follow the Chicago Bears when Dick Butkus, the legendary defensive lineman, and the "Fridge" were on the team. Jim's football interest attained a new height when Gayle Sayres joined the marketing team at Skil-Bosch. Jim and Charlotte had season tickets to the Northwestern games when residing in the Midwest and to Arizona State upon their move to Arizona. Charlotte negotiated with Jim to attend performances of Arizona Opera since she supported his obsession with football. An appreciation of classical music blossomed in someone who was an avid fan of Rock and Roll, especially Elvis Presley. Jim and Charlotte attended numerous theatrical performances over the years. Jim's favorite was "Phantom of the Opera." Jim enjoyed hiking and led hikes for Central Arizona Community College in the environs of the Superstition Mountains. Jim and Charlotte hiked in many of our national parks - the Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and others. Upon moving to Arizona, they occasionally hiked in the Thompson Arboretum or the Botanical Gardens.
Jim loved the outdoors and nature. He could observe the beauty of a western sunset or a double or even a triple rainbow over the Superstition Mountains from the backyard of his home. He enjoyed visits from desert wildlife - quail, mountain lions, coyotes, javelinas and an occasional deer. Jim had many interests including golfing, swimming and boating. Jim and Charlotte have fond memories of boating and picnicking with friends and family at Canyon Lake. Pinochle was his favorite card game, and his competitive spirit left no doubt that he expected to win. In fact, this is one trait that has been passed down to several of his grandchildren.
Jim's love of life began to fade when his identity was stolen by Alzheimer's Disease, which began about eight years ago. When his cognitive abilities and judgment began to decline, he quit driving. Then with decreased executive functions and memory, he couldn't do routine tasks like balance a check book or maintain the correct chemical balance of the water in his backyard pool. To be of help during the challenging years ahead, Mike and Tiffany suggested a move to Southern Illinois. And so, it came to pass in March 2022 after waiting for the COVID restrictions to be lifted. Initially, Jim had caregivers in his home. Then in August 2023, he was admitted to the Memory Care unit at Keystone Place in O'Fallon. In July 2024 he was placed in a long-term nursing program, The Benedictine Living Community at the Shrine, in Belleville. Jim never complained about his circumstance, and said with acceptance and resolution, "It is, what it is!" Alzheimer's Disease continued to progress until Jim passed on March 20, 2025.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim's memory can be made to one of the following: Habitat for Humanity (directly or to Faith Lutheran Church designated for Habitat), Hospice of Southern Illinois, the Alzheimer's Association or the Benedictine Living Community at the Shrine. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.rennerfh.com.
Visitation: Friends may visit with the family from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, March 28, 2025, at Faith Lutheran Church, O’Fallon, IL.
Funeral: Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 28, 2025, at Faith Lutheran Church, O’Fallon, IL, with Rev. Candice Wassell officiating.
Burial will be at Green Mount Catholic Cemetery, Belleville, IL.
