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| The Rev. William Kren |
Members of the Romulus
community are mourning the death of a beloved and well-known minister who was
named as the 33rd Romulus Person of the Year in 2018.
The Rev. Rev. William “Bill” Kren, 72, died on Friday, Sept,
6, 2019, at his home in Garden City, after a courageous battle with cancer. Mr.
Kren was born Sept. 16, 1946, to Frank and Virginia (Morey) Kren and was the oldest of
seven children. He married his wife of 51 years, Elizabeth “Sue” (DePugh) Kren in 1968..
Mr. Kren was born in Cleveland ,
Ohio , but called Detroit
home after his family moved to Michigan
in the early 1950s. After graduating from Western
High School in 1964, he joined the
United States Army and served one tour of duty in Vietnam from 1965 to 1966; he was
honorably discharged in January, 1968 and he and his wife were married the next
month.
After working several years at Great Lakes Steel in Detroit , Mr. Kren devoted his life to the ministry and
attended Asbury College Michigan ,
Indiana , and Ohio ,
the most recent being the Dearborn Congregational Church in Dearborn . He also held senior administrative
positions with The Evangelical Church, including a six-year stint as a District
Superintendent. He retired from the ministry in December 2018. Mr. Kren and his
wife moved to Romulus in 1998 when he became the
minister at Community
United Methodist
Church
In addition to his church ministry, Mr. Kren was very active
in the communities he served. Between 2003 and 2010, he served three terms as
director of the Greater Romulus Chamber of Commerce.
He helped organize the popular Community Good Friday
services and the annual Romulus National Day of Prayer and organized prayer
services for residents of the Senior
Towers
In 2006, after eight years with Community United
Methodist Church Kren served as the secretary for the
Romulus Downtown Development Authority.
He was a member of the Rotary Club of Romulus, an 18-year
member of the Romulus Mayor's Drug Task Force. He was also a volunteer with the
Veterans of America, has been a participant and organizer of the
Romulus/Belleville CROP Walk which raises funds for the needy and volunteered
with Gleaners Community Food Pantry. Mr. Kren's involvement extended to
numerous other volunteer projects in Romulus ,
including the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Walk, the Citywide Clean Sweep, the
Pumpkin Festival Committee, the Parade of Lights and the Romulus Salvation Army
Rehab Center Advisory Council.
Mr. Kren was known for his devotion to his family, his
selflessness, and his sense of humor. He was a voracious reader of religious,
political, and science fiction books, loved watching movies, and listening to
classical music and classic rock.
Mr. Kren was nicknamed “The Sermonator” after a character in
one of his all-time favorite films, The Terminator. As a die-hard sports fan,
he loved University
of Michigan
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons Derek
(Janet) Kren, Jason (Lana) Kren; his daughter Maria (Brett) Doyon, and
grandchildren Lauren Kren, Ashlan Celesky, and Joshua Hucul.
Funeral services took place Sept. 10 at St. Paul United
Church of Christ in Taylor .
Arrangements were entrusted to the Howe-Peterson Funeral Home.
