Darwin Kroll

Click Here To View Memorial Video On a beautiful sunny day, June 16, 1933, a perfect baby boy was born at home in Rigby. He came into the world kicking and screaming and throughout his life it would prove to be part of his active personality. At 7 days old he was adopted by his loving grandparents, Carl Martin Kroll and May Thomas Kroll. They named him Darwin Raymond Kroll. They made their home in Rigby for 6 years. He was a welcome addition to the Kroll Family. As a youngster he tagged Grandpa Kroll on his heels where he learned to fish, work in the garden and enjoy going on family outings. Another fond memory he had was going with Grandpa to inspect the vast pea fields. They loved to sit on the ditch bank at the end of the field and eat the sweet baby peas right from their pods. He also watched Grandma May sort the peas at the Big Seed House, where Grandpa Carl was the manager, before they were shipped out. He got in a few innocent pranks with his best chums and pulled a few jokes with no harm to anyone as he grew up in a normal small town. When Darwin was 6 years old the family moved to Idaho Falls into a neighborhood that didn’t even have a house on it. Grandpa and Grandma built a secure livable house that was a safe haven for all family and friends. He made many life long friends that he kept in touch with for all of his life. Darwin was raised in a home where his aunts and uncles were regular visitors and even helped raise him. He played often with his cousins and they were as close as siblings. He began school at 6 years old in Idaho Falls at Emerson Elementary, attended Junior High at O.E. Bell and then Idaho Falls High School, where he played football. He then transferred to Ammon High School where he was on the football squad. Darwin proved to be a good student. He was active in most school activities and performed in plays and loved to go to the school dances. During that time he made a heap of friends, had fun socially and participated in a lot of activities. As a teenager he worked at various service stations and was excited and proud to be a caddy at Pinecrest Golf Course. After graduation from high school, he met Nina E. Russell at a dance in Ririe and they were totally smitten with each other from the start. They dated exclusively for 7 months and had a lot of fun times while each of them worked. They both took a day off work and “eloped” to Blackfoot where they were married at the Bingham County Courthouse by the Justice of the Peace, Mr. Belnap on May 27, 1953. They celebrated their nuptials over a milkshake at the oldest Drug Store in Blackfoot. They never told anyone they were married and both showed up for work the following day. What a surprise to everyone when it showed up in the Blackfoot newspaper. They made their home in Idaho Falls all their married life. In the first 9 years of married life they had 5 beautiful daughters. Together they raised them to be 5 fantastic women! Growing up as a young man Darwin had a scooter, a motor cycle, a horse and all the Roy Rogers gear. But he valued most his many great cars over all his possessions. To this day Darwin and Nina own several super classic cars and for that reason his love of cars led him to seek many jobs at gas stations when they were full service. In 1955, he landed a job as the manager of Stoddard Ford Service Station. He was a faithful employee and did a superior job. He caught the eye and attention of the manager of Kaiser Engineers. He serviced and gassed up all the cars for the Electrical Department for Kaiser. One day the top guy asked him if he would like a different job with a lot more money and better benefits. Being the honest guy he was he replied, “I would love to but I have to give my 2 weeks notice.” Thus began his life in the Electrical Business. He worked as an Electrical Buyer and expediter for many years. When the job was finished they asked him to travel to other states and he said, “Thank you, but I don’t want to leave this valley and I want to raise my family in Idaho Falls.” He came back to town to work for Electrical Wholesale and several other Electrical Wholesale companies. He excelled at every job he had especially as a salesman and made lots of friends in the construction business. He and his wife, Nina, were avid bowlers and played on leagues. For several years he worked part time on weekends at Bowl-Ero lanes. They also loved to camp with family and friends. He pulled his trailer where most campers wouldn’t go and we called him, “Our Fearless Leader.” He loved to fish with his family and buddies. In the early years he hunted in the Fall, but gave that up long ago. He played softball and also coached a local team. One day on a whim he bought a raffle ticket at a car wash and won a brand new Ski-Doo Elan snow machine. One led to two, and two led to three and it wasn’t long before we had a fleet for the whole family who went often. He loved the game of golf the most and played as often as he could on weekends and in many tournaments. Every Spring he made sure he signed up his grandchildren and great grandchildren for the Junior Golf Club lessons and tournaments. He proudly watched all of them play and win. Darwin also donated clubs and golf equipment to the local golf course for anyone who needed them. Christmas was Darwin’s favorite holiday. He never missed a year of decorating the house and yard like Clark Griswald. He even piped beautiful Christmas music outside. Much to our surprise, he decorated last Christmas 2012 and it looked grand. He was a very generous gift giver and lavished beautiful gifts on Nina and his girls at Christmas and all year long. He always gave generously to the Salvation Army and other charities. He would cram the whole family into the Big Van and took them out to supper and then would spend hours on Christmas Eve driving around looking at all the beautiful Christmas lights and these traditions will be carried on. One of his fondest memories of Christmas was at the age of 10. He had asked for a wooden sleigh. Christmas morning to his disappointment there was no sleigh. With tears in his eyes he went out with his Dad to shovel the walks and as they checked the Christmas lights he saw his beautiful new wooden sleigh on the roof leaning against the chimney. Darwin loved his hobbies, his friends, his co-workers, but most of all he loved and cherished spending time with his wife, daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, and great grandchildren for numerous special get togethers. He was Christian and lived by the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. His favorite Bible verse was John 3:16. Darwin suffered from Alzheimer’s for many years and died of its complications. He passed away peacefully on September 23, 2013, holding the hand of his true love, Nina, and surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by Wife: Nina Kroll of Idaho Falls Daughters: Teri Lyn Kroll of Sandpoint, ID Molli Kroll Gunther of Decono, CO Marti Kroll (Robert) Gibbons of Idaho Falls, ID Dana Lei Kroll of Idaho Falls, ID Traci Kroll (Steve) Wheldon of Spokane, WA Grandchildren: Gretchen, Sara, Gabriel, Jacob, Brigette, Joee, Ashlee, Emily, Natasha, Maci, and Sally; and Great Grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Marcus, Easton, Caleb, Jaden, Kadence, Carson, Rylan, Laura and Calvin (twins), Bree, Madden, Elliott, Liam, Audrina and Brecken Half Brother: Monte Hall of Colorado Half Sister: Carol Hall of California He was preceded in death by his parents; a half brother, Dennis Hall; two great grandchildren, Owen and Hannah; and many dear aunts, uncles, and cousins. A Gathering for family and friends will be held from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, September 28, 2013, at Wood Funeral Home, 273 N. Ridge. The closing prayer will be given by Steve Wheldon. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Darwin R. Kroll’s name to the Alzheimer’s Foundation online at www.ALZ.org or Snake River Cancer Alliance, 1957 East 17th Street, Idaho Falls, ID 83404. A special thanks goes to all the personnel and staff at Turtle and Crane Assisted Living Center and to Brandy and the hospice staff at One Source Hospice for the kindness and loving care you gave to him in his final days. We will be forever grateful.

Gathering -- Saturday

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ,Saturday, September 28, 2013 Wood Funeral Home 273 North Ridge Avenue Idaho Falls, ID 83402