Tamara Krenz

Tamara Joy Krenz, age 64, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota formerly of Wheaton, Minnesota passed away Thursday, July 7, 2022 at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, August 6, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at the Bainbridge Funeral Home in Wheaton with Pat Schubert officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service time at the funeral home. A meal at Falk Park will be served following the service.

Tami was born on May 4, 1958 to James and Shirley Krenz of Wheaton, Minnesota. She was baptized and confirmed in the Missouri Synod Lutheran faith. Tami grew up on the family farm near Wheaton and graduated from Wheaton High School in 1976. Tami was an honor student and homecoming queen. She was also active in music, playing piano and the tenor sax. In her senior year, she traveled to Europe with high school band members chosen from across the state.

From 1976 to1979, Tami attended Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. While in her Junior year, she was one of twelve students selected to participate in the Wesley Social Action trip to Appalachia. Among other community projects, Tami spent time with home health nurses providing medical care to persons in need as well as helping to establish fellowship between the area and students coming from Iowa State.

Tami graduated with a degree in nursing from Jamestown College in Jamestown, North Dakota. She spent her lifetime working in all facets of the medical profession and enjoyed her career immensely. She practiced in Texas, Montana, California, Colorado, Minnesota and South Dakota.

Tami enjoyed traveling, gardening, hiking, reading and being with family. She was an avid walker, as anyone who joined on her daily five-mile treks can attest. A closet sports fan, she loved watching the Minnesota Vikings and she also enjoyed watching the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Rockies as well. She was an avid horse lover and loved her dog Chrissy and cats Chaz and beloved Drake.

Tami is deeply loved and will be profoundly missed by daughter Samantha, her husband Derek and grandson James of Conifer, CO; son Will of Tucson, AZ; sister Jay of Minnetonka, MN; brother Robb and wife Amy of Boulder, CO; partner Dan Grohs of Rosholt, SD; George Ahlsten, Tami’s mother’s partner, of Wheaton, MN; Carolyn Grant, former sister-in-law, of Boulder, CO; Ted Strugar, Tami’s husband and Samantha’s father, of Reno, NV; Bill Leipold, Tami’s husband and Will’s father, of Superior, CO; and nieces Anna, Jade, and Sam and nephews Adam, Jordan, and Coby and many, many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents.