Steve Kreuscher is no more.A Lake County judge granted permission to the Zion man Friday to officially change his name to "In God We Trust." That's "In God" as a first name and "We Trust" as a last name.
The 57-year-old artist and bus driver was ecstatic about the name change as he exited court Friday.
"I feel great. It's just like, yes!" We Trust said.
The entire process before Judge David Hall took less than two minutes, but We Trust said he was quite nervous.
"I have been praying for this. I didn't want anything to mess this up," he said.
We Trust said the new name more closely represents his devotion to God than "Steve Kreuscher" did.
The process to change his name took roughly three months. Throughout the course We Trust said he was looking for a sign from God that would let him know it was a good idea. He got it one day while adding up the expenses for the name change, which came out to roughly $600.
"I didn't want to use my own money because things are tight," said the father of four. "Three weeks later, I got my (tax) rebate check for $600."
Changing his name to something so out of the ordinary is bound to get mixed reactions from people, especially because of the religious overtones, he said.
"I'm not out to offend anybody. People can call me something different," We Trust said.
We Trust must now go about changing his name on all legal documents. Early next week, he'll visit the Social Security office in Waukegan and then the Secretary of State's office and his bank.
He's already begun signing his artwork with his new moniker, a move that may add value to his work.
"There are billions of artists out there. If you don't do something to stand out in the crowd the world won't recognize you," We Trust said.
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