Obituary of John Eric Krebs

John was a retired Duluth News-Tribune reporter and former Iron Range weekly newspaper publisher. He most recently resided at Country Manor in Sartell and previously lived in Duluth, Gilbert and Hibbing. He was born Aug. 5, 1932, in Superior, the son of Herman and Sadie (Sandstrom) Krebs, and was a 1950 graduate of Duluth Central High School, later attending UMD for two years and the University of Minnesota School of Journalism for two years. His career began with the Two Harbors Chronicle-Times weekly newspaper and he also worked at the Fairmont Daily Sentinel and Waterloo (Iowa) Daily Courier before joining the Duluth News-Tribune sports staff in 1956. Following his marriage to the former Elouise J. Zenner in 1958, they became co-publishers of The Gilbert Herald weekly newspaper from 1959 to 1964. They won a National Editorial Association first-place award in 1960 for the best feature publication in the small-town population category. After returning to Duluth in 1964, John later became communications director for the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce and editor of the Duluthian magazine. In 1969 he became manager of the Hibbing Chamber of Commerce, a position he left in 1973 to return to the Duluth News-Tribune. His career there continued until retirement in 1994 and during those years he served as a sports and city/county reporter, editorial page assistant and regional editor. During several years as a News-Tribune employee, John worked in the news department while both of his parents were employed in the newspaper's production department. He also held various offices in the Lake Superior Newspaper Guild, News-Tribune Employees' Credit Union, Iron Range Newspaper Association and Duluth's Glen Avon Presbyterian Church, where he and his wife were members since 1964. They also are members at First Presbyterian Church, St. Cloud. He was a member of the Duluth Bowling Association, a former league secretary, and was a senior member of the Duluth Curling Club. John was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Sadie Krebs; an infant brother, William; and two grandchildren, Laura and Sam Krebs. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Elouise; three children, Eric (Karlin) Krebs of Duluth; Randy (Julie) Krebs of Sauk Rapids, and Louise (Trenton) Ziegler of Sauk Rapids; and six grandchildren. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in St. Cloud. A memorial service also will be held at Glen Avon Presbyterian Church in Duluth at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, 2018.