Kenneth Philip Kroll

Kenneth Philip Kroll (March 18, 1915 – February 27, 2015) Kenneth Kroll, 99, formerly of Warren MN, passed away on Friday, February 27, 2015, at home in Hopkins, MN, resting comfortably in his rocker while alternately snoozing and reminiscing with family. Kenneth Philip Kroll was born on March 18, 1915 in Crookston, MN to Carl and Josephine (McLoughlin) Kroll. He and his younger sister Dolores grew up in Red Lake Falls, MN, attended St. Joseph’s K-10 and Lafayette High School followed by 1 year at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and four years at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. He earned a degree in Pharmacy and became a lifetime registered pharmacist in both ND and MN. During WW II Ken served in the U. S. Navy, first at the Naval base in Corpus Christi, TX and then on independent duty (no doctor) on the USS YMS-345. He took care of cuts, scratches, and shots of the 40 man crew of a 125ft x 30ft wooden ship chasing magnetic, electric, and acoustic mines. Their ship took them up and down both coasts, throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Cuba, Bermuda, half way to Africa and back on convoy duty, through the Panama Canal 4 times, to Hawaii and a host of islands in the Pacific both north and south of the equator. They were at Kwajalein, Guam, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Yap, Palau, Eniwetok, Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Truk and more. The job description of the YMS was to remove mines from the path of attacking troops before the attacks began. Ken married Mildred Frances Johnson on April 14, 1942, two weeks before the Navy called him up. They were together in Corpus Christi for a year before he was called to Bremerton, WA. He was discharged 2 days before Christmas in 1945. In 1946 they moved to Fergus Falls and then in 1948 to Warren, MN where they bought the Kroll Drug. For the next 22 years He worked nearly every day at the drug store and still found time for the U.S. Naval Reserve, MPhA, Knights of Columbus, City Council, Chamber of Commerce, Toastmasters, Lion’s Club, American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a great supporter of local business and social organizations, always participating and giving jobs to local high school students. In 1970 they sold the Drug Store and Ken went to work as a relief pharmacist for other pharmacies in rural northern MN. He would work anywhere from 1 day to several weeks for the individual pharmacies giving their pharmacists a break. He was fond of saying “He never missed a day’s work” during those 36 years. He finally retired from active Pharmacy at 92. Kenneth is survived by three children, Richard (Kristen) Kroll of Livingston, TX, Kathryn (Jeff) Dale of Minnetonka, MN, and Janelle (Steve) Schoenbauer of Duluth, MN, the families of four nieces, five grand-children, and one great-grand-child. He was preceded by his parents, sister, and wife. In lieu of flowers, please gift memorials in the name of “Ken and Mildred Kroll and the Kroll Drug” to the WAO Education Foundation, PO Box 125, Warren, MN 56762 (http://www.wao.k12.mn.us/?DivisionID=17657&DepartmentID=19181&ToggleSideNav=ShowAll) Services will be held Wednesday, March 4, at 11 AM, at the Washburn-McReavy Edina Chapel, 5000 W. 50th & Hwy 100, Edina, MN 55436, (952) 920-3996. Military Funeral Honors will be presented on Wednesday, March 18, at 12:15, at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery (http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/ftsnelling.asp). Grave sites can be found at: http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/.

Tributes

Kenneth Philip Kroll

February 27, 2015

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