Junior Donald Kranich

Junior Donald Kranich was born in Elgin, North Dakota, on July 17, 1936 to Oscar and Alma (Tintzmann) Kranich.  He was the eldest of five siblings. When he was 12 months old the family relocated to Billings, Montana where they lived for 6 months before moving to Corvallis, Montana in the Bitterroot Valley, where they farmed for 15 years.  In 1951 the family moved to Lodi, California, while Don moved to Portland, Oregon to become a resident Freshman in the dorms of Concordia Academy.  After graduating High School in 1954 he returned to the campus in the fall to attend Concordia College, with the intention of becoming a Navy Chaplain.  Don met the love of his life, Beulah Maureen Moser, on a blind date in 1955.  They married in July of 1956.  After a short stay in California, the couple moved back to Portland where Don worked at Nabisco for 41 years as a Baker.  He loved the smell of warm Oreo Cookies fresh off the belt. Their union was blessed with 3 children, Cindy, Jeffrey, and Michael. Don and Maureen celebrated 60 years together in July 2016.

Don enjoyed the outdoors and travelling to new places.  The family took many trips to National Parks and natural wonders throughout the western United States and into Canada.  He was a skilled handyman, a gardener, and an avid woodworker, spending several years in a side business as a cabinet-maker and remodeler.

Don is preceded in death by his parents.  He is survived by his wife Maureen, brother Lyle, sisters Betty (Duane) Rohmaller, Myrna (Jim) Skutak, and Linda (Randy) Case, his children Cindy, Jeffrey (Becky), Michael, four grandchildren – Jennifer (Daren) Rice, Paul (Brandi) Kranich, David (Liz) Kranich, Jonathan (Tessa) Kranich, and four great-grandsons, Oscar and Henry Rice, Daniel Kranich, and James Kranich.