Krayden Wayne Krause

On July 24th, 1991, the world was blessed with a little boy, Krayden Wayne Krause, born to Koreen Finck and Kenny Krause. He was raised near Newell with brother, Kennen, and sister, Kennedy. Growing up, Krayden loved baseball and was a talented shortstop. Krayden was naturally an athletic also playing football and wrestling at Newell. During these years, Krayden was a dedicated caretaker of his grandparents, caring for his grandmother, Judy Finck, and in later years his grandfather, Kenny Finck. He completed his GED at the age of 16, showing a great interest in welding and fabrication.

In the spring of 2008, God opened a way for Krayden to live with the Hotchkiss family near Mud Butte, SD. Terry and Beth welcomed him as part of their family on the ranch. He enjoyed working alongside his “adopted” brothers, Blane Hotchkiss, Wesley Hotchkiss, and Aaron Price. Krayden enrolled at Western Dakota Tech in Rapid City in the fall of 2008, and received his welding degree with honors in the spring of 2010. He was an excellent welder and was well known for his ingenuity. During this time, he spent summers and many weekends at the Hotchkiss Ranch haying, building fence, and working with cattle. He then went on to work in the oil fields in Pennsylvania, New York, North Dakota, and Wyoming. He eventually moved back to the Hotchkiss Ranch to live and work full time. Krayden was diligent and took pride in getting a job done right. He was a cowboy in the truest sense of the word.

He married the love of his life, Mary Anderson, on November 12th, 2016. They made their home on the Schuelke Ranch, near Mud Butte, SD. Krayden loved building and improving their cow herd and ranch as well as riding and training good horses. He was very proud of their brand that was passed down to him from his Grandpa Butch. In 2019, Krayden and Mary had the opportunity to start their own ranch near Faith, SD, with the help of Krayden’s grandmother, Arlyce Krause. He was excited to be ranching and loved making improvements on the place. Krayden adored his grandma, Arlyce and enjoyed working on the Krause Ranch with her. Krayden was a multi-talented, good-natured cattleman. He stayed busy day-working or trucking for several different ranches in the area where he was accepted as a family member and a friend. For many years Krayden was also welcomed into Ty and Kari Dieters home. He enjoyed working with Angus cattle and, in more recent years, traveling part-time with Ty and his trimming business. Krayden also always enjoyed helping out Rich and Rhonda Price and Tyra and the late Aaron Price with their cattle operation.  He also had cherished the time spent with his friend Justin Weiss, sharing a special bond and interest in welding. Krayden assisted many cattle operations including the Maier Ranch and the Lazy DT Ranch just to name a few.

In 2021, Krayden started working closely with the Senn family (Jerry and Heather), sharing a common passion for the Lord, cattle, and the land. They were a great blessing to each other. Krayden accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at the age of 17. He attended the Opal Community Church and enjoyed many friendships with his church family. Krayden loved listening to music, and would often cleverly weave song lyrics into daily conversations. He was partial to songs with meaningful words, and old hymns at church were among his favorites. Krayden had a special place in his heart for children. He loved holding the babies and gave special attention to the older kids. He didn’t talk down to them but treated them as people, and they all loved and looked forward to seeing him. Krayden was a natural and patient teacher. At brandings, all the kids wanted to partner with him to wrestle calves. He was an extremely hard worker and as tough a man as one will ever find. No matter where or when, he was always happy to come help. His sense of humor and fearless nature will be missed by those who knew him best. He carried a lot of burdens close to his heart, but did his best to give them to Jesus.

Krayden went to be with Jesus on March 24th, 2023. Krayden was dearly loved by his family and many friends, and he will be deeply missed.

Blessed to have shared in Krayden’s life: wife, Mary Krause; father, Kenny (Angie) Krause; mother, Koreen (Matt) O’Dea; brother, Kennen Rosencranz; sister, Kennedy (Branden) Carpenter; step siblings, Matthew O’Dea, Alicia O’Dea, Amanda Warden, Crystal Yates, Micheal Anderson; grandmother, Arlyce Krause; grandfather, Kenneth Finck; nieces, Summer, Wynter, and McKenna, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Krayden was preceded in death by his grandmother, Judy Finck; grandfather, Butch Krause; great-grandparents, and very special friend Aaron Price.

Funeral services were held Thursday, March 30, 2023, at Faith Community Center in Faith, SD, with visitation one hour prior to services. Interment followed at Monument Hill cemetery.

In lieu of flowers gifts may be made out to Opal Community Church.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.kinkadefunerals.com.