Elizabeth Kruidenier passed away early this morning in her South Side home. The 85-year-old civil rights advocate had been battling cancer since a diagnosis in July.

Kruidenier was a founding member of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and served on numerous community organizations, among them the League of Women Voters, the National Organization for Women and Planned Parenthood of Iowa.  

She and her late husband, David Kruidenier, were well known for their contributions to culture and the arts in Des Moines.The couple helped fund the Gray’s Lake walking trail and the current downtown library as well as providing grants to the Blank Park Zoo, Science Center of Iowa and the Iowa Hall of Pride.  

Click here for a brief interview with Liz conducted by dsm Magazine prior to her passing on Oct. 19, 2011. Liz along with seven other of the metro area’s most respected men and women will be honored at dsm’s first Sages Over 70 on Nov. 8.

Click here for an old Business Record story that detailed the Kruidenier’s impact on Des Moines.