Remembering

PENSACOLA, FL – Lester Eugene (LE) Krause, 90, passed away peacefully at his home in Pensacola, Florida on Monday, February 20, 2023. LE was born on January 19, 1933, in Kansas where his parents, Lester B. Krause and Virginia (Manning) Krause had recently attended the University of Kansas. Soon after LE’s birth, his parents relocated to El Reno, Oklahoma, where the family continued to live throughout his childhood.

LE attended elementary school and high school in El Reno, where he was an outstanding student, and was active in scouting and excelled in music, including band and chorus. It was during his time with the El Reno High School band that LE’s enthusiasm for music was cemented. Under the tutelage of his band instructor, Melbern Nixon, LE became a skilled trombone player and continued to play the instrument well into his adult life, playing with the Pensacola Orchestra at the Saenger Theater in Pensacola. He continued his relationship with Mel, whom he considered a Mentor, and helped to fund a music scholarship fund in Mel’s honor at Emporia State University. Upon graduation with honors from El Reno High School in 1951, LE attended Oklahoma State University, where he studied chemistry. It was during this time that he met Charlotte (Cissy) Ream who would become the love of his life. LE told the story of walking into the Episcopal Church in Stillwater and looking up see a lovely young woman at the top of a 10 ft ladder hanging a banner. While he never claimed that it was “love at first sight”, he said that his initial thought upon seeing Cissy for the first time was “now that’s a girl I would like to get to know”. Soon after graduation in 1956, LE was attracted by Cissy to Pensacola, Florida and began work at Newport Chemical Co. They were married at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church on August 21, 1957 and began their life together, living in the home that was built by Charlotte’s father.

LE and Cissy spent many happy decades in Pensacola where she pursued family and community life and hobbies as he pursued family life and his career as a chemist with local companies including Reichhold Chemicals, and International Paper Company. In addition to Cissy’s wonderful cooking, LE had a love of classical music, vintage cars, and a good cold beer. Throughout his long life, LE was known as a kindly man who loved and enjoyed life, was loyal to people, and expressed himself well in a deep, mellow, musical voice.

Preceding him in death were his loving wife, Charlotte (Cissy) (Ream) Krause and parents, Lester and Virginia Krause, as well as cousins Brett Schroeder, of Kansas City, Missouri, Martin Manning of Cortland, Ohio, and and Andrea Lynn (Youngstrom) Sherman, of Omaha, Nebraska. He is survived by his sister Karen (Krause) Smith, of Beaverton, Oregon, and his niece, Cynthia Toogood Manning, of Denver, Colorado as well as cousins, Deborah Synhorst, of West Des Moines, Iowa, Patty Schroeder, of Kansas City, Missouri, and Charles Manning, of Livermore, California, and sister-in-law Jane Ream (Feehan) Jones and her husband Doug Jones of Crawfordville, Florida.

Since the passing of his loving wife in 2012, LE, in retirement, had been able to remain in and continue to enjoy his Pensacola home due to the loving support of his neighbors, Chris and John Blackwell, and his caregivers Sandra Buchanan, Kenyatta Buchanan, Shaquita Booker and Sandra James. His love of the Bayou with its beautiful sunsets and sparkling water never faded.

Cremation is taking place and services will be private. Friends and relatives who wish to remember LE with a gift are asked to consider a donation to his life-long favorite charity, The Joyce and Melbern Nixon Scholarship Fund, 1500 Highlands St, Emporia, KS 66801, TAX ID 48-6088461.