Kristopher Fluegel

Kris traded his earthly body for eagle's wings on 3/23/16. Kris was born at Miller Hospital in St. Paul, MN on 2/27/52, the third of five children born to Joseph Valentine and Elizabeth Mary (Schoenberger) Fluegel. Kris loved to reminisce about the many happy family memories from his childhood, including camping, picnics, hikes along the railroad tracks, and going for drives. Kris was baptized in the Catholic Church and attended St. Mark's School through 8th grade. He graduated from Cretin High School in 1970. Kris grew up in the shadow of Merriam Park Community Center where the activities were an important part of his childhood years. His many friends from the neighborhood, St. Mark's, and Cretin were always very dear to him.

Kris started working early as a young entrepreneur, saving money to buy his own lawn mower and building a route of customers in the neighborhood. He paid his way through Cretin. As an adult he enjoyed several years doing landscaping, lawn maintenance, and snowplowing. For the past 36 years he worked for the City of New Brighton Public Works Department. Kris loved plowing snow, but early on he developed a special passion for his work with New Brighton's water system. He enjoyed pursuing extra training and took delight in talking with city residents about the quality of their water supply.

Kris was an avid collector of discarded brass and copper fixtures, such as meters, valves, and gauges. He enjoyed antiquing, and particularly collected antique tools, fire extinguishers, and blow torches. Kris also loved collecting bricks which were "branded" with a name, design, pattern, picture, or numbers. Unmarked bricks, called vanillas, were not of any interest. He was a proud member of the International Brick Collectors Association (IBCA) whose members do not buy or sell bricks, but rather trade bricks or give away duplicates.

Kris loved landscaping projects and planting trees and shrubs. He would rescue small tree seedlings, nurturing them in nursery pots until they were established enough to be planted in a permanent home. He delighted in sharing trees with others. When he became a beekeeper, it was impossible to tell which he enjoyed morea�"caring for his bees or sharing his honey crop with others! Kris found great joy in celebrating God's beautiful creation, whether working with the soil, hiking in the woods, camping, cross-country skiing, swimming, or feeding and even sometimes naming the squirrels. Indoors, he relished playing strategy board games such as Risk, and was both skilled and competitive, as his friends can attest.

Kris's real sunshine, though, was his beloved daughter, Allison Rose (Alli). He shared his love of nature with her, teaching her to keep her eyes open for hawks and looking for bald eagles along the Mississippi River. He taught her to enjoy a good bonfire, complete with hot dogs and marshmallows, as his father had done with him when Kris was a boy. On Saturdays they laughed together as they listened to "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" on NPR. They picked apples from the trees he had planted on his Afton property. They shared popcorn at the movies, looked for treasures at Half Price Books or Barnes and Noble, and enjoyed drives along River Road.

Kris married Kay Gabelmann in 1978 and they later divorced. Kris renewed his involvement with church when he and Kay joined Central Presbyterian Church. He had a special love for the character and beauty of the historic structure in the heart of St. Paul. He served as a trustee. He also worked with the youth group, including accompanying them on several mission trips.

Kris lost his parents, as well as special aunts, Marie and Rose, by the time he was a young adult. He was also preceded in death by his nephew, Joe Rasmussen and brother-in-law, Larry Rasmussen. Kris is sadly missed by his loving daughter, Alli and her mother, Kay. Also mourning his loss are: his brothers, Charlie and Karl (Sharon) Fluegel; his sisters, Paula Rasmussen and Julie (Darrell) Monson; his nephew and godson, Daniel Monson; nephews Will Monson and Grant, Lars, and Sonny Rasmussen; aunt, Mary Lou Nelson; uncles, Father Jim Schoenberger and Mike Schoenberger; a host of cousins; and many wonderful friends.

Memorials preferred to the MN Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska MN 55318