Beverly J Kluess

Beverly J. "Bev" Kluess, age 87, Groton, formerly of Clark, the widow of Don "Blackie" Kluess, died peacefully with family at her side on Saturday afternoon, November 19, 2016.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 from 4-6 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and will continue after noon at the Church in Clark on Wednesday.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 2PM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with The Reverend Mindy Ehrke officiating.  Dorothy Fuller will be the organist.  Honorary casketbearers will be all fellow teachers.  Active casketbearers will be Wade Kluess, John Ferguson, Tom Shaw, and Colton Monson.  Burial will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark.

She was born Beverly Jean Stevens on January 18, 1929, at Clark, the daughter of Henry Cyril "HC" and Mary A. (Moren) Stevens.  The family moved to a farmhouse 3 ½ miles northeast of Clark before Bev started school at the Concord "Bull" Country School.  Bev continued her education in the Clark School from 4th grade and continued in Clark until graduation from Clark High School in 1947.  Following her high school graduation, she attended Northern State Teacher College at Aberdeen obtaining her teacher's certificate.  She began that fall teaching at the South Elrod School.

Around that same time as teaching at South Elrod, she met Don Kluess at the Clark Ballroom.  They dated for about a year and were married on September 28, 1948 at Montevideo, MN.  The trip was also their honeymoon.  They returned to Clark, Bev worked in the Red Owl Store and a few years later she returned to teaching.  Over a course of years, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree.  She continued teaching for the next 38 years and even after her retirement, she was a substitute for 17 years.  Don died on May 30, 2015.

In the community Bev was an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, the WELCA serving as President of that group, taught Sunday school and Bible school and always did the updates on the bulletin board in the basement.  She served as the secretary of the American Legion Auxiliary in Clark as well in that capacity for the Clark County Historical Society where she also served on the board of directors.

Hobbies were many including painting with oils and watercolors, doing many crafts, attending craft shows, collecting plates, bells and other antique items, second to none though was her love of reading.  She and her husband also enjoyed traveling including to tropical destinations and she made several trips to Europe with her daughter.

Preceding her in death was her husband, Don, a sister, Darlene (Alvin) Wika, brother, Dale Stevens, and brother-in-law, Norm Wika.

Grateful for having shared in her life are her children, Meredith Kluess of Chaska, MN, Rod (Arlys) Kluess of Groton, and Carmen Kluess Ferguson of Maple Grove, MN, 5 grandchildren, Cassie, Wade, Laura, John, Jessica, and 8 great-grandchildren, Colton, Clayton, Becca, Joey, Aubrey, Lola, Mya, Ella.  She also leaves a sister Marbeth Wika and a sister-in-law, Wilma Stevens both of Clark.

The Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com