Yvonne Krause

Yvonne (Vonnie) Krause, 85 of Fountain Hills and of Connor’s Point, Lake Washington, Minn., peacefully passed away on June 15, 2017, at Honor Health Shea in Scottsdale.

Vonnie was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and terrific friend to many. Vonnie was born in Mankato, Minn., on Jan. 19, 1932, to Anthony and Mildred Marka. She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Raymond; son, Tom (Patty); daughter, Nancy Laak (Tracy Cavenaugh); and grandchildren; Peter Krause, Holly Krause, Amy Laak, Allison Laak, and sister, Betty Joerg. She was preceded in death by her brother, John (Jack) Marka.

Vonnie received her Bachelor of Arts with honors and Master’s Degree from Minnesota State University-Mankato, formerly known as Mankato State University. She spent a year teaching Geography 101 at MSU and Spanish at Wilson Campus.

She owned and operated the Emerald Cuckoo with her partner Marilyn Hanson, until their building was acquired by the City of Mankato at the current site of the Mankato Convention Center.

Vonnie was a wiz at crossword puzzles, and was an accomplished bridge and Maj Jong player in several leagues. She looked forward together with her friends in both Arizona and Minnesota to play cards. She was very talented piano player as well and would often play for hours on end.

Vonnie was a longtime member of the Mankato Golf Club and was a past president of the Women’s Board. Vonnie and Ray were founding members of FireRock County Club in Fountain Hills.

She and the family took annual Christmas skiing trips to Vail, Colo., for 15 years. More recently, Vonnie took her family on cruises around the world which everybody enjoyed.

She loved to follow professional sports, especially the Minnesota Vikings, the Golden Gophers, and the PGA Tour.

She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, and had lots of very close friends and family in both Minnesota and Arizona. She was a great cook and loved to entertain her family and friends.

Vonnie had some health setbacks during her life, but was always positive and never complained about anything. She was an inspiration to all who knew her. The family is planning a private celebration of her life in Minnesota later this summer.