Candy Krueger died of a brain aneurysm on August 11, 2005 at the age of 51. This memorial was put up by request of one of her daughters. Her funeral was on the 15th and was so well attended that people had to be seating in the adjoining lobby. Many of her friends e-mailed us with comments on their memories of Candy, here are but a few:

"Candy has got to have been one of the most passionate, caring and energetic people I have ever been blessed to work with. I worked with Candy to get housing for all of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice folks who were coming in from all over the country to help out the folks in Wichita as they stood up for Dr. Tiller’s clinic and the women who need services there. She had this remarkable ability to combine her work with her family and her passions. I met her daughter at the hotel who was clearly so happy to be with her mom and so proud of her. I saw Candy work all hours to make sure things went smoothly at the hotel and that our stay was safe and even fun. She made us feel a part of her family, part of her circle of love and caring. She was remarkable.

She was also tireless in her efforts to help get the new Kansas affiliate of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice off the ground. When we met, optimism and enthusiasm radiated off of her. We would talk and exchange e-mails at all times of the day and night. She poured her heart and soul into a new group and helped to give it life.

I join all those in Kansas and across the country that were touched by her too brief life in mourning her passing. I send love and support to her children, family, and extended family of friends and

companions. I encourage all of us to remember her commitment to a better world by dedicating some of our own passion and actions to her memory each in our own way."

-Barbara Kavadias

"I weep with you Diane and all our friends at the Kansas RCRC. What I remember so fondly about Candy during our two weeks there was her spunk, her strength, her perseverance and her great sense of humor. We were all feeling the pressure but she never wavered and she more than once did above and beyond to make us feel welcome....and safe.

My thoughts and prayers are with you this week."

- Rev. Monica Corsaro

"When Patrick Kincaid, Candy’s cousin, said that Candy was still with us, I thought how true that was. Uncounted people have been affected by her activism and her life, and we will never be able to forget what she meant.

When I think of Candy, many images come to mind, but most of those images are of Candy standing—standing on the street putting herself on the line for peace or choice or justice and freedom, or standing in a clinic parking lot making sure that women could get into the clinic without being harassed by the antis, or standing up at press conferences speaking boldly to the press. I also think of the celebration commemorating the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Without Candy’s hard work, that event would have never come off. She was there through the planning stages and there the night of the event, organizing everything quietly efficiently.

Candy was a warrior, as so many people said at her memorial service. What sometimes may be forgotten is that she was a warrior for her children as much as she was for her causes. She made sure her kids were taken care of, especially Monica, the youngest, and she hardly ever came to an event without Monica with her. She wanted her children to know what it means to put oneself on the line for a cause.

The image that sticks with me the most is her smile. She was hardly ever without a smile on her face. She found humor and joy in all of life’s frustrating situations. The last time I saw Candy, at the Democratic committee planning for the upcoming election,

she was once again making plans, this time to expose her state representative for the fraud that he is. She was never without a plan. Yet, she didn’t leave us a plan for going on without her. We’ll have to figure that out on our own." -Diane Wahto

"Candy and I met that crazy time in Wichita when "Operation Save America" came to town to harass Dr. Tiller's clinic. I answered the call to help the pro-choice religious folk and got on a plane to meet a group of strangers soon to become friends. I would not have dreamed that Candy would become one of them. Our group stayed at the motel she was the manager of and when not out in the hot sun in front of the clinic, we were resting or planning for our next activities. I spent some time with Candy hearing her story, hearing about some of the truly desperate people who came to Dr. Tiller for help in the worst of circumstances, and hearing Candy revel in the joy of her children. She was especially worried about her daughter and how the OSA people were starting to harass her!

After leaving Wichita, Candy and I stayed in touch through phone calls and e-mails. I sent her a package that summer with spa soaps for her own self-care and little bottles of bubbles to blow for her and the clinic workers to try to lighten up the mood a bit.

Below are Candy's words, one from an e-mail she sent me and another, is a statement she wrote on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Thinking of you all today."

-Rev. Deborah Mero

I often saw Candy Krueger at the many peace rallies I went to. She always had a sign and always had a good cheerful attitude. She was a dedicated activist and went to the Washington March for Women's Rights, April 25, 2004. With our black on pink T-shirts featuring the slogan "We Won't Go Back" emblazed over a crescent moon featuring a nude goddess silhouette holding the female symbol, 10 members of Wichita's organization ZAP took part in what was called by the organizers of the march and The Washington Post, ‘the largest march for women's rights in history’. The organizers estimated the crowd to be about 1.15 million and the Post estimated more than 500,000. This was clearly a historical event for those of us who went -- and a moment in time not to be forgotten, that we shared with Candy.

Candy, who died of a heart attack last Thursday, was quite a proud feminist and defender of women’s rights. These days there seem to be so few of us here in Wichita. Krueger participated many pro-choice and peace protests and had spent years doing clinic defense and helped us fight the local Religious Right. Her efforts will be missed and not easily forgotten. It is a sad day for our small community.
- Cam and Steve

As expected members of Operation Rescue West went to the funeral, as they have in past funerals of pro-choicers, in order to disrupt the event. Cheryl Sullenger made some disparaging comments on the ORW website. Their Phelps like actions should be a commentary on the effect Candy had upon the preservation of the freedoms she fought for.

Book of the day: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

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