Krautmann Family: Deep Roots, Big Impact
11/18/25 | Duck Athletic Fund
“Oregon is special.”
For the Krautmann Family, supporting Oregon Athletics is about more than football. It is about family, roots, and honoring the family matriarch, Jolly Krautmann, who passed away in 2024 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Jonathan's connection to Oregon runs deep. He grew up in Salem, spending Fall weekends surrounded by oaks while the roar of Autzen Stadium echoed in the distance. "My parents founded Heritage Seedlings & Liners, a wholesale nursery in the Valley," he shared. "As kids, my sister and I would help collect acorns for oak propagation, hearing Autzen Stadium in the background. I never went to a game as a kid, but that sound stuck with me."
Years later—after earning degrees on the East Coast and meeting his wife, Liz, in business school—Jonathan found himself longing for home. "In my mid-twenties I started flying back for games," he said. "I'd leave NYC on a Friday, tailgate at Autzen Stadium with my parents on Saturday, hike on Sunday, then red-eye back into JFK and head straight to work. Those weekends left a deep imprint."
Liz's love for Oregon grew through Jonathan. A New Yorker with an eye for design and a heart for community, she fell in love with the state's natural beauty and warmth. "Coming from the City, I learned so much about the land and connection to nature," she said. "Now our family has a farm in McMinnville where we're restoring native oak habitat; it connects us physically to Oregon and creates something meaningful for our kids, and hopefully our grandkids, to carry forward."
That spirit of stewardship and impact was reinforced by Jolly's strength through adversity. Jonathan remembers his mother's grit and joy during their game day traditions: walking through fall foliage to Autzen Stadium, sharing a frosty beverage at the Moshofsky Center, and celebrating Ducks wins together. "She never stopped fighting, and those weekends meant everything."
It is in Jolly's memory that the Krautmann Family has made their recent $1 million matching gift to Oregon Athletics. "My mother packed a powerful punch in a diminutive figure; she impacted so many Oregonians across her family, friends, and nursery colleagues," Jonathan said. "We're hoping this gift becomes a force multiplier—something that honors her spirit and supports Oregon Athletics' efforts to uplift those affected by cancer."
Autzen Stadium remains a family destination for the Krautmanns, even as they reside outside the state in Puerto Rico. Their sons, Jacob (13) and Sebastian (11), have grown up in green and yellow, cheering for the Ducks. "We always get a 'Go Ducks!' wherever we go," Liz laughed.
Now is the perfect time to join the Krautmanns in making an impact that will echo across generations. Through their $1 million matching gift, every contribution to the SHOUT! campaign goes twice as far, strengthening the student-athlete experience in competition, in the classroom, and in the community. Jonathan and Liz invite the Oregon family to come together, meet the match, and unlock its full potential—creating lasting opportunities for current and future Ducks and carrying Oregon's championship spirit forward for years to come.
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