Meet David Krueger, lifelong carpenter, devoted volunteer, proud Huskie, and a man whose hands have helped build both buildings and the community he has called home his entire life.
Born in Saginaw County, Dave has been a Hemlock area resident from the very beginning. He started kindergarten in the original St. Mary's School—located where the east parking lot of the Hemlock United Methodist Church sits today—and graduated from Hemlock High School with the Class of 1962.
For Dave, Hemlock has always meant one simple thing:
Home.
He remembers when downtown Hemlock was where families shopped for everything they needed. Clothing came from Ozzie Bauer's, groceries from Fuller's, and a 25-cent cherry soda at Gould's Drug Store was a special treat. Many high school lunch hours were spent at Frost Restaurant with friends, creating memories that have lasted a lifetime.
The Krueger family's roots in the area stretch back even further. Dave's grandfather, who served as the Road Commissioner for Thomas Town Township (before it became simply Thomas Township), settled on land at the corner of Orr and Geddes Roads. While those original family homes are now gone and the property has become part of Hemlock Semiconductor, the family's connection to the community remains as strong as ever.
Today, three generations of Huskies proudly carry on that tradition.
Dave's siblings, his two children, and now two of his grandchildren have all graduated from Hemlock High School, continuing a family legacy that spans more than 70 years.
As a boy, Dave was always building something.
If he wanted a toy, he often made it himself. His love of working with wood only grew stronger through Hemlock's wood shop classes, setting him on a path that would become his lifelong career.
After graduation, he began building homes with a local contractor before joining Pumford Construction, where he spent more than 35 years helping shape communities throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. As a superintendent, he oversaw the construction of professional, medical, and dental facilities, with Valley Lutheran High School remaining one of his favorite projects.
Even in retirement, he takes pride in seeing Pumford continue its work in Hemlock through the district's recent renovations and construction projects.
Dave credits much of who he became to the example set by his father, who worked at both Fordney Dairy Farm and the Hemlock Duck Farm.
"He taught me to work hard, be reliable, and be honest."
Those lessons have guided every chapter of his life.
Athletics also played an important role in Dave's Hemlock experience. He competed in football, basketball, baseball, and track, learning valuable life lessons from legendary coaches Larry Bowman and Bob Wallace, who mentored him both on and off the field.
Sports became a family affair.
One of Dave's favorite memories is competing in sports alongside his younger brother, Don—after whom the Krueger Track at Wallace Field is named. The two trained together from an early age, with their mother sewing sand-filled ankle weights to build strength and Dave even building Don a set of wooden hurdles so he could practice at home. Both brothers went on to earn Hemlock's All Sports Award just one year apart, a testament to their work ethic and love of competition.
Dave also had the unique distinction of playing basketball in the original Legacy Gym during its earliest years and later giving back by building the scorer's table that served countless Huskie basketball games.
His love for Hemlock athletics never faded.
Over the years, he's cheered on generations of Huskies in everything from Little League to varsity sports and marching band performances. He also volunteered as a band chaperone on memorable trips to Niagara Falls, Toronto, Washington, D.C. for President Ronald Reagan's second inauguration, and even a three-week tour through Germany, hauling instruments and helping students experience the world beyond Hemlock.
In 1964, Dave married Madelyn, a Breckenridge native, beginning a partnership that has now spanned more than six decades. Together they've been blessed with two children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, and Dave says some of life's greatest joys have come from watching them grow through sports, music, and academics.
These days, retirement still keeps him busy.
You'll often find him working in his yard, building projects in his wood shop, or volunteering his skills for family, friends, and Merrill Wesleyan Church, where he has worshipped his entire life.
Ask Dave about his favorite place in Hemlock, and you'll likely find him at one of the district's athletic facilities, cheering on another generation of Huskies. His ideal summer evening is much simpler—a campground, a campfire, and a hot dog roasting over the flames.
When asked to describe Hemlock in one word, Dave doesn't hesitate.
Community.
It's a fitting answer from someone whose life has been built around hard work, service, family, and investing in the place he has always been proud to call home.
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