Tom Krueger’s “most famous words” are remembered fondly by his eldest daughter, Anne Cuthbertson.
Key points:
- Bordertown couple Tom and Margaret Krueger died in a car accident last year
- A plaque will be installed at the Bordertown Pool to acknowledge their 50-year contribution to swimming
- Eldest daughter Anne Cuthbertson says her parents enriched the lives of many people by teaching them how to swim
“Kick those legs” and “bottom up” would ring out over swimmers splashing in an indoor pool.
Bordertown couple Tom and Margaret Krueger passed away when their car hit a tree in August last year.
They were 90 and 85.
The pair are remembered for their dedication and contribution to the community, including founding the local swimming club.
Ms Cuthbertson said the family was “overwhelmed” by the outpouring of sympathy and condolences.
The Tatiara District Council will install a plaque and bench at the Bordertown Pool in memory of the couple.
Council voted on the memorial in September last year, and the plaque and bench are due to be installed in the coming weeks.
Ms Cuthbertson said it was “acknowledging their legacy to the Tatiara, to the people of the Tatiara”.
“As a family, we feel that it’s somewhere people can sit and reflect on their memories of Mum and Dad — no doubt very happy ones.
“If you talk to anybody who learned to swim there, they were two phrases that everybody knew very well.”
Pool on a landlocked farm
Ms Cuthbertson said her parents built the heated pool on their farm in 1969.
“Dad used to work on the farm and then come in the late afternoon and have classes through from four to about seven (o’clock),” she said.
“He’d have a break for a meal, and then he’d go up and usually have adult classes in the evening.
“Mum was always the one working behind the scenes — making sure everything went smoothly, being there in his breaks with his cuppa and sandwich, overseeing everything that went on, organising the classes.”
Ms Cuthbertson said it was “something very different to do in a small country town”.
“They used to sit there waiting for the cars to come up the drive, wondering if this new venture that they’d commenced would work for them,” Ms Cuthbertson said.
“It did. Numbers grew and grew and grew.
Lasting legacy
Tom and Margaret dedicated 50 years of their lives to teaching swimming and lifesaving in Bordertown.
“They would have never imagined how much they were loved by people everywhere and how many have such special memories of them both,” Ms Cuthbertson said.
“For them, it wasn’t about the accolades.
“That was what was most important to them.”
Ms Cuthbertson said the family was “overwhelmed” by the number of people who reached out after Tom and Margaret’s passing.
“Expressions of sympathy were conveyed to the family in so many ways,” she said.
“There’s just not enough words to express how much that meant to us.
“There was so much overwhelming support from people locally, within South Australia, interstate, and overseas too.
“With the different messages we’ve received from people, lots of little funny stories and beautiful comments.
“There’s just a big hole there for us.”
