Chester Kruse, 85, of Hepler, Kansas, died at 11:50 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in the Landmark Hospital in Joplin, Missouri where he entered Sept. 22. Chester was born Aug. 5, 1940, in Claflin, Kansas, a son of Allen and Josephine (Friedel) Kruse. He grew up in Hepler and graduated from Hepler High School.