Long-time jeweler passes

By MARIDEE LAWSON

A well-known member of the Farmington community passed away last week. Bill Krekeler passed away Thursday morning following an illness.

“Bill started this journey with ‘conisderable courage and faith’ and he ended it the same. I imagine much will be said in the coming days about his role as husband, father, granddad, friend, businessman and golf buddy ... But I can offer no other testament to the man than this ... He died a christian death and in doing so set an example that we can only hope to emulate one day,” Krekeler’s son, Jeff, entered on “caringbridge.com/krek” on Thursday morning.

Krekeler was very involved in the community he called home since 1977.

“Bill Krekeler was a friend of everyone in town. He would walk up and make friends with anyone who was new in town. We will all miss Bill,” said Farmington Mayor Stuart “Mit” Landrum. He added that Krekeler was one of the founding members of Country Days. He was also on the Farmington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for a time and helped with the development of the Farmington Industrial Park.

“Bill loved Farmington so much,” added Landrum.

 Bill and his wife, Nancy, moved the family business to Farmington in 1977 when they purchased Tetley Jewelers. By that time the family included two children, Jeff and Jill.

According to the history found at www.Krekelerjewelers.com, “Krekeler Jewelers was founded in September 1938 by A.L. Krekeler on Union Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri.  William L. “Bill” Krekeler joined the family business in 1961 and purchased A.L. Krekeler and Son Jewelers in 1973.  Bill, along with wife Nancy and children Jeff and Jill moved the business from Bellefontaine Neighbors to Farmington, Missouri in 1977.”

Exactly 30 years after Bill and Nancy purchased Krekeler Jewelers, Jeff and wife Sheila bought the business from his parents.

“When my parents moved here they were around 34 or 35 years old. The Schnurbusch’s were the first to help them out and welcome them to the community,” recalled Jeff. “So when someone new moved to Farmington my parents would introduce them to their friends and around Farmington. It was an awesome gift they received and they passed it on.”

Bill joined the Chamber of Commerce in 1977 and served as president in 1981. In 1992 Billy and Nancy won the “KFMO Super Service Award”, and in 2000 Krekeler Jewelers won the “Tradition and Progress Award”.

“He was the longest running sheriff in Country Days history and always volunteered at Harvest Night,” recalled Ursula Khtiri, director of the Farmington Chamber of Commerce. “He would dress up as a clown and hand out candy every year. He did it without being asked, but because he wanted to.”

And resident historian and longtime newspaper reporter and contributor Janet Douglas also had fond memories of Krekeler.

“I remember when Bill and Nancy first moved here the chamber took planters to all the businesses. Not long ago I saw Bill and he said he still had (that planter),” said Douglas. “They moved to Farmington and embraced the town. They knew it would be home forever. Bill was very active in the community and the St. Francois Country Club. He was also very active in St. Paul Lutheran Church.

“You always knew you could count on him and was so good natured and had such an infectious laugh,” Douglas added. She said she could never remember him saying a negative word about anything.

In recent years Bill and Nancy have been active in the On Stage Players, a local volunteer theater performance group, and the “Voices of the Past” historic reenactments. Both have been involved with Habitat for Humanity of St. Francois County.

Funeral services for Krekeler were held this past Monday.

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