Three more La Crosse area volunteers added to the list of Iverson-Freking Award winners

A La Crosse area couple and a Franciscan nun are this year’s winners of a well-known local award for service to the community.

The Iverson-Freking Awards for 2024 are being given to Joe and Barb Kruse, and Sister Mary Ann Gschwind, by the Bethany St. Joseph nursing homes. The annual award, which was started in the 1980’s, recognizes area residents for their faith and volunteer work.

Sister Mary Ann has been a principal and superintendent of schools. She has nominated others for the award, but says she didn’t expect to receive it herself.

Joe Kruse is a retired regional chairman of the Mayo medical center in La Crosse, and his wife Barb has been a hospital dietitian, and a teacher at Western Tech. They were also the 2016 Festmaster and Frau for Oktoberfest. Joe says he and Barb feel that doing volunteer work is fulfilling. Barb says people should be willing to help others, when they see a need to be met.

The three winners will be guests of honor at a Radisson Center luncheon on January 24th. The awards were named for Lutheran businessman Carl Iverson and former La Crosse Catholic Bishop Frederick Freking, who both helped found the Bethany nursing home.