Joseph Louis Kristof (1921 - 2013)

Born 22 Jul 1921 in Caldwell, Burleson, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Died 1 Apr 2013 at age 91 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

Biography

• Fact: Military Draft Registration (16 February 1942) Deanville, Burleson, Texas, United States
• Fact: Obituary (03 Apr 2013) Washington, United States
• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch From his obituary: Joe L. Kristof, our beloved long, tall Texan, left us to fish heaven's salmon runs on April 1, 2013. Joe was born in Caldwell, Texas on July 22, 1921, the son of Joe Kristof and Lilly Kristof (nee Weiderhold). He had an older brother (E. Dee) and older sister (Marguerite) who predeceased him. Joe was raised on a farm outside Deanville, Texas. As a child, Joe rode his horse, "Baby," three miles to school. Joe attended West Texas State College, where he played football, basketball, and track before joining the U.S. Army Air Force during WWII.

Joe was stationed in Great Falls, Montana for three days before shipping off to the South Pacific. During that short stay, Joe met the love of his life, Cecilia Krupar. It truly was love at first sight. Joe stayed in touch with Cele by writing letters to her during his deployment. While in the South Pacific, Joe worked on the planes of some of the fighter pilot aces as they fought for control of the Philippine Islands.

Returning after the war, Joe married Cele, and the two moved to Texas where they lived for the first few years of their marriage. While visiting Cele's uncle in Seattle during the late 1940s, Joe fell in love with the Northwest, and in particular, the fabulous fishing which existed here at that time. Joe and Cele moved to Seattle in 1949 where Joe pursued his passion for fishing in the surrounding Northwest waters. Here, in Seattle, Joe and Cele raised their three sons: John (Terrie), Joe (Renee), and Jim (Andrea). Most weekends found the Kristof family camping and fishing - a setting in which Joe was the happiest and most at home. In fact, the family was featured in a 1958 Seattle Times Parade article entitled "The Camping and Fishing Family of Seattle." Throughout this time, Joe also enjoyed travelling throughout the Northwest states, as well as to Canada and Alaska, to fish with his sons, grandsons, as well as other relatives and friends. Joe was a life-long member of the Washington Fly Fishing Club.

Joe was a founding member (1952) of St. Paul's parish in Seattle, and he remained an active participant in his church throughout his life. He worked for over 30 years as an insurance underwriter for Kemper Insurance, in downtown Seattle, until his retirement in 1984.

Joe will be dearly missed by many and will be fondly remembered for his love of, and devotion to, family and friends, as well as his generous, outgoing spirit. Joe is survived by Cecilia, his wife of 67 years, his three sons and their wives, 7 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 05 July 2021, 16:20), entry for Joseph Louis Kristof (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:L6XG-646 ); contributed by various users.