Memorial for Craig Mueller set for Saturday

A memorial for former Havre Public Schools Superintendent Craig Mueller, who died unexpectedly last month, will be held at the Havre High School Auditorium Saturday at 10 a.m., for a celebration of his life and his far-reaching impact on the community.

Sarah Kraske, a long time friend of Mueller, is part of the group organizing the memorial and said anyone who would like to celebrate her friend's life is welcome.

"I'm hoping it will be a very uplifting, meaningful celebration of Craig and everything that he was to us, and everything we will miss," Kraske said. "... His reach was wide and far so we want anyone who wants to celebrate his life to come."

While her brother-in-law Havre High School Principal Dustin Kraske worked with Mueller, she said, her family and Mueller's were very close and Craig Mueller was a personal friend of hers for more than 10 years.

"He was like family to us," she said. "He was there for you, anytime you needed him, he went above and beyond."

Muller and his wife Emylee moved in next to them from Illinois and their friendship only grew deeper with time and as the couples had children, five daughters between them.

Mueller originally came to Havre to take the position of Havre High School principal in July 2011. He took the position of Havre Public Schools' assistant superintendent in June of 2015 and took the position of interim superintendent after Andy Carlson stepped down from the superintendent position in July of 2020.

Mueller initially declined the position of permanent superintendent, but reconsidered after being asked to by a number of people.

He was named superintendent in March of 2021.

Kraske said the news of Mueller's death was shocking and still raw.

"Craig's passing was earth shattering," she said. "It honestly still doesn't seem real."

She said Mueller had a far-reaching impact and touched people's lives in a lot of ways and the service on Saturday will "offer hope and peace to his colleagues, friends and family, and the community as a whole."

Kraske said Mueller's excitement and encouragement were infectious and, even though he wasn't born in Havre, he was a Blue Pony to the core, and she hopes the memorial will reflect that.

"My wish is to pour as much Craig into his service as possible," she said.

She said she's encouraging people to wear blue and white for the event like Mueller did to so many events during his time at Havre Public Schools.

Kraske said she will miss her friend dearly and she hoped to be like him.

"I want to live more like Craig," she said. "Treasure family. Show up for people. Invite time with others. Go big. Make memories. Don't hold back. Respect history. Hug more. See the sights. Record everything. Believe in others. Embrace traditions. Make plans. Be silly. We all know he was far too young, so don't take a day for granted."