Klaus Herbert Kraft of Berthoud, Colorado passed away peacefully at the age of 91 before dawn on a January morning in 2026. Born December of 1934 to Karl Kraft and Franziska Kraft in Wuppertal, Germany; he was the youngest of 7 siblings. At the age of 18 he bravely boarded a ship bound for New York City and landed in Chicago, Illinois in 1953. In 1958 he married Chizuko Kraft and together they worked tirelessly while raising two daughters, Nancy Kraft and Silvia Kraft. Klaus and Chizuko celebrated 59 years of marriage and through their hard work and commitment, lived the American Dream.
Klaus worked for the same company for 47 years, starting out on the factory floor and eventually rising through the ranks to become President. He guided Burrell Belting Company (Skokie, IL) in its growth and ultimately through mergers, resulting in Burrell Leder Beltech, Inc., a member of Ammeraal Beltech Group. He thrived in the challenge of collaborating with other talented minds in the manufacturing of conveyor belting for the food industry and other uses. His success as a businessman was due to his hard work, intelligence, fortitude and integrity. He was served by his compassion, resourcefulness, people skills and sense of humor. And he was supported by his wife, a surgical nurse, who rose beside him to every challenge.
Klaus believed in fairness and hard work. He valued neatness and organization. He cared deeply about mankind and all the creatures of this planet. In 2008 Klaus and Chizuko moved to Colorado to join their daughter and her family out West. They built a home and made new friends and explored the new terrain. Klaus’s pleasure the last 17 years was found in reading non-fiction books and traveling the many beautiful and incredibly scenic roads in Colorado–he knew them all. He hiked the mountain trails alone. He appreciated the adventure of exploring unfamiliar roads and spotting wildlife. He often said, “Do you know what to do if you see a bear?”… and then he would answer, “Take a picture!” and the sparkle in his blue eyes would playfully reflect his slightly mischievous spirit.
Photography captured him at an early age, and he always loved photographing beautiful scenery and animals, and the many beautiful flowers his wife planted each year. He travelled all over the world and the United States and enjoyed making new friends. He was thoughtful and creative, and started writing poetry later in life. Rhyming and full of humor, his chosen words reflected a good-hearted soul rich with experiences, friendship, and the wisdom of one who had lived through troubling times, but who always looked for goodness and humanity.
Klaus is survived by his daughters, Nancy Kraft (Russ Hopkins), Silvia Kraft; his granddaughters Erica Sciortino and Danielle Sciortino (Christopher Waits); and his great-grandchildren Hunter Androvich, Ian Hopkins, and Olivia Waits. The family is planning an online memorial to take place at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Wild Animal Sanctuary of Keenesburg, Colorado, or The Alzheimer’s Association or any local foodbank. The family expresses its gratitude for the support of hospice during the past 14 months.
My condolences to Nancy and Sylvia and family. I was saddened to hear about Klaus passing. I was lucky enough to spend many years working with him at Burrell Belting and all the name changes it went through. He was always friendly, fair and willing to share his advice on anything that would help. I’ll always remember the business advise he would give and it still helps me in the industry to this day.
He had a great life story which gave us all something to strive for.