Lu Krugler died peacefully at home in Grass Valley on November 6, 2026, two days before her 95th birthday.

Lu was born Lula Mae Dierker in Buhl, Idaho, to William and Johanna (Bentrup) Dierker, and grew up on the family farm in nearby Filer, with five older siblings. Her parents strongly encouraged education, which was unusual for a farm family in that day, and Lu took it to heart. She graduated from high school in Filer in 1949, having played oboe well enough to make the Idaho state honor band. After a year of working in Filer she left the farm for college. She spent a year at St. John’s College in Kansas, then transferred to the University of Utah’s nursing program and earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing in 1954.

Then she did something bold for a farm girl from Idaho: she moved to Los Angeles. She worked as a visiting nurse, caring for expectant mothers across LA County, and in 1959 she joined the faculty of the UCLA School of Nursing. She also was a public health nurse with the Los Angeles County public health department

Lu met her husband, Art, at a grunion run. On their first date, they saw Ella Fitzgerald at the Hollywood Bowl. They were married on July 12, 1958, at Faith Lutheran Church in Los Angeles, and shared 68 years together.

Lu stepped away from nursing when their first child was born, but she proudly kept up her nursing license for many years. She combined “snow white” looks with a wide range of skills, from milking a cow and treating a burn to baking the most amazing cookies. The family lived in Pico Rivera before settling in Whittier in 1966, where they lived for more than 50 years before moving to Grass Valley in 2017.

At home, Lu patiently reviewed homework and drilled spelling bee word lists, enthusiastically played tag with her kids, and soundly beat her children at memory games. Her memory was epic: she could name not just the date of a family event but the day of the week it fell on. Her laughter and sense of humor made for a warm home, and when things went sideways, she’d simply say, “That’s the way the mop flops.”

Lu’s Lutheran faith was deep and lifelong. She was baptized and confirmed at Clover Trinity Lutheran Church in Buhl, Idaho, and was later a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Los Angeles, Peace Lutheran Church in Pico Rivera, and Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley. A talented pianist, she often played for choir practice and Sunday School, sang in the choir at Peace Lutheran, and loved studying and teaching the Bible. She was a pillar of her community, serving as PTA treasurer, Girl Scout leader, a volunteer in the Whittier High School costume shop, and a Meals on Wheels volunteer.

Lu was an intrepid traveler. She kept everyone happy with state capital quizzes and campsite meals on multi-week cross-country trips in the family Volkswagen bus, and she eventually visited all 50 states. She and Art often said they never expected to leave the farm and wind up seeing the world, but they traveled to Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Dominica, New Zealand, and Europe.

Lu is survived by her husband, Art; her children, Gretchen (Paul Mercurio), Ken, and Eric (Erika); and her granddaughters, Claire, Jenna, Ellie, and Sophia. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Omer; and her sisters, Lorna, Vernice, Flora, and Adeline.

The family thanks Rondha’s After Care, as well as Susan Claydon and Claydon Geriatric, for their care of Lu.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, November 28. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League California-Nevada-Hawaii District.