Obituary of Archie Kreiter

A funeral service for Archie Kreiter, age 95, of Milford will be held Friday, November 10, 2023 at 11:30 AM at Seventh Day Adventist Church in Spencer. Visitation will take place prior to the service from 10:30-11:30 AM at the church in Spencer. Interment will be at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery in Okoboji. 

Archie Kreiter was born at home on a farm by Goodrich, North Dakota on July 3rd 1928. He was the 10th of 12 children born to Benjamin and Elizabeth Kreiter. He attended grade school and high school in Goodrich.  

Archie taught school for a year after graduating high school. While he was teaching, he was drafted into the army during the Korean War. He worked as a medic during the war for two years in California and was put in charge of the clinic during his stent there. After returning from military duty, a friend introduced him to a lovely young woman named Elaine Kreiter. Elaine found him very handsome. It was love at first sight for both of them. He asked her out for a date on a Saturday night and took her out on the town in his shiny Mercury. They were married 6 months later on October 6, 1954 at the McClusky, ND SDA Church.  

After their wedding, they settled on a farm near Harvey, North Dakota where they made a living farming.  They raised cattle, wheat, barley, oats, Durham, sunflowers, flax and soybeans over the years.  They also brought up their three children on this farm. They attended the Manfred SDA Church in North Dakota where Archie would often preach and at times travel to other churches in North Dakota to fill in for pastors. In addition, he served on the local township board for many years.  

In 2007, they moved to Spirit Lake, Iowa. Archie was active in Kiwanis and also went to the YMCA regularly to exercise. He and his wife enjoyed going to Pizza Ranch with friends on Monday evenings and both served on the board at the Senior Center. He also loved watching football, rooting especially for the Chiefs, Packers and Vikings. He loved to play the guitar and sing and he and his wife sang together for many occasions.  

He loved his family and was a devoted father, husband and grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Elaine Kreiter; brother, Harley Kreiter; son, Lonnie Kreiter and his wife, Bonnie; daughter, Lisa Kreiter and her children Cassandra Kavuri (husband Roy Kavuri with their baby due next week) and her son, Cody Johnson; son, Korey Kreiter and wife, Tracy and their children Paige Kreiter and Peyton Kreiter. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a son, Gaylen Archie Kreiter; his parents and ten siblings. Archie passed away October 31, 2023 at the Accura Healthcare in Milford Iowa from multiple health issues.