Eleanor M. Kruse

Eleanor Mary (Mehrtens) Kruse

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we announce the passing of Eleanor Mary (Mehrtens) Kruse, a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and widow, who departed this life peacefully on July 7, 2025, at the age of 91.

Born on April 23, 1934, in Manhattan, New York, Eleanor was known for her unwavering strength and compassionate heart. The beloved daughter and only child of German immigrants, Wilhelm and Mary (Wittmann) Mehrtens, Eleanor was the devoted wife of the late Harry F. Kruse, with whom she shared almost 65 years of marriage before his passing in 2021.

Eleanor graduated from Wagner College (Staten Island, NY) 1955, and enjoyed being an Alpha Delta Pi sister. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, she worked at New York Hospital (currently the Cornell University Medical Teaching Hospital) as a Registered Nurse.

She loved being a wife and mother and raising her three girls. Following her late husband’s career advances, Eleanor moved her growing family from New York to New Jersey to Indiana and finally to Pennsylvania, where she had resided since 1969.

Once her daughters were heading to college, Eleanor returned to making contributions to the healthcare-related community, working with the mentally and physically challenged (Prospectus Associates, now ProBerco) and the addicted (Caron Foundation, now Caron Treatment Centers). In her role as an educator, she taught Anatomy and Physiology both at the Reading Area Community College and at Berks Technical Institute. Her love of learning was contagious, and she was so honored to be able to share her breath of knowledge with her students.

Eleanor enjoyed the summers at Seaside Heights, Thanksgiving in the Poconos, her church family and friends, and Reading’s annual Book Bonanza. Her volunteer efforts included leading a Brownie Girl Scout Troop and, as a woman of great faith, teaching Sunday School.

She was a long-time member of Grace Lutheran Church (Shillington) and then, over the past several decades, the Wyomissing Church of the Brethren. She enjoyed playing the piano, singing, listening to the radio, and caring for the myriads of family pets and rescues that crossed her threshold. One of her greatest personal pleasures was journaling — she lovingly documented the moments, memories, and milestones of her life with care and reflection.

She is survived by her three daughters: Lois (Donald) Theisinger, Laura Kruse (her fiancé James Miller), and Karen (John) DelVecchio, four grandchildren; Andrew (Claire) Theisinger, Kelly Theisinger (her fiancé Kevin Smith), Justin DelVecchio, and Kayla DelVecchio, and two great-grandchildren; Catherine Theisinger and Kolbe Theisinger.

Eleanor’s warmth, strength, and love will live on in all who knew her. She will be deeply missed and forever cherished by her family and friends.

A private graveside memorial service will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, with arrangements entrusted to Whelan Schwartz Funeral Home of Reading.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor Eleanor in a way that feels meaningful to you—whether through a kind gesture, a donation to a cause close to your heart, or simply by sharing a cherished memory.