Magdalena 'Maggie' Kruger

April 09, 1929 - February 24, 2021

Magdalena ‘Maggie’ (Potgieter) Kruger passed away on February  24, 2021 at the age of 91 in Auburn, Kansas. She was born on April 9, 1929, in East London, South Africa.

Maggie was a direct descendant of Harmen Jansz Potgieter who was one of the very first immigrants from Europe to South Africa. He was a resident of Nordhorn, Grafschaft Bentheim, Germany and arrived in South Africa in 1670. His wife, Isabella Fredericks, was from Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Maggie was the second of five children born to Petrus Hendrik Potgieter and Anna Sophia Stevens. Her older brother Peter lives in Somerset West, Western Cape, South Africa and her youngest brother Eric still lives in East London, Easter Cape, South Africa. Her deceased brother, Alan, was living in Bloemfontein, South Africa, at the time of his death. A fourth sibling, Anna, died shortly after birth.

When Maggie was a young girl, her parents joined the Seventh-day Adventist church and she remained a faithful member and dedicated Christian until her death. She attended Girls High School (Clarendon High School) in East London and after leaving school, she began working as a seamstress. This became a life-long passion and many of the wealthy people of East London were her customers. She ran her business from home enabling her to be with the five children she raised while her husband, George, was gone most of the week working as a commercial representative.

In 1988 George and Maggie decided to join two of their sons by immigrating to the United States. They lived in Overland Park, Kansas and both worked at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, located in Miriam, Kansas. Maggie worked in the child care center taking care of the infants of the medical staff.

They were both very active in the New Haven Seventh-day Adventist church congregation until the untimely death of George in August 2012.

Maggie then moved to Topeka so that she could be near one of her sons and was resident at Auburn Homestead Assisted living at the time of her death.

Maggie is survived by her brothers, Peter and Eric Potgieter; her children Gary, Glen, Ray, Del and Warren; her grandchildren, Jonathan, Andrew, Collin, Heather, Terri-Ann, Cameron, Kirsty, Claire, and Duncan; and great-grandchildren Katelyn, Jillian, Alden, Katherine, and Damian.

Maggie was preceded in death by her husband, George Kruger and her brother Alan Potgieter.

She is going to be sorely missed by family and friends but her unconditional love, kindness and gentleness will remain with us until we are reunited with her again.

And so, as we part ways with our mother, grand-mother and great-grandmother we leave her with these words:

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matt 11: 28, 29

“Kom na My toe, almal wat vermoeid en belas is, en Ek sal julle rus gee. Neem my juk op julle en leer van My, want Ek is sagmoedig en nederig van hart, en julle sal rus vind vir julle siele.” Mattheus 11:28. 29

Totsiens Ma/Ouma, ons het jou baie lief!