Donald W. Kluess

Donald W. Kluess age 88 of Groton, formerly of Clark, died Saturday afternoon with his family by his side at the Golden Living Center at Groton. Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 4, 2015 from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and will continue at noon at the Church on Friday. Services will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Clark at 2pm on Friday, June 5th with visitation at Furness Funeral Home on Thursday, June 4th from 5-7pm. Casketbearers will be John Ferguson, Brent Wika, Daryl Wika, Randy Stevens, Jerry Kluess, and Colton Monson. Honorary casketbearers are all golfers! Interment with full military rites provided by the Cagley-Smith American Legion Post #60 of Clark and the United States Navy Honor Detail Team will be at Rose Hill Cemetery. Lunch will be served following the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials would be preferred to the St. Paul Lutheran Church Trust Fund %Greg Furness, 402 N. Commercial Street, Clark, SD 57225. Don was born in Raymond, SD on February 13, 1927 to Henry Carl and Lyla Wilson Kluess of Raymond, SD. He was baptized and confirmed in Raymond. He attended school in Raymond, enlisting in the U.S. Navy just prior to graduation in 1945. Disembarking from Los Angeles, he served aboard a L.S.T., transporting troops back to mainland China. Returning to Raymond after discharge, he worked for a short time for the Erling Bros. Gas Co. and later moved to Clark, SD. In 1948 he married Beverly Jean Stevens and they had 3 children, Meredith Kluess of Chaska, MN, Rod (Arlys) Kluess of Groton, SD, and Carmen Kluess Ferguson of Maple Grove, MN. Don took journeyman electrical training under the Herb Schulte Electric Co. and worked several years with him. He later took over the propane delivery truck at Clark Community Oil. He was the CO-OP Manager for 20 years until his retirement. "Blackie" bowled on the Sundvold Livestock team for years, and took up golf later in life. He did manage to score two holes in one with one right in front of a KELO land camera man. One year he and his golfing buddies hit balls on the course every month of the year just to prove they could! He was a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church where he was head usher for twenty years. He belonged to the American Legion for 67 years, serving a term as Commander and was a member of the National Guard. Don enjoyed his sports teams, the Vikings, the Twins and his beloved Yankees. Don and Bev enjoyed travel on Farmland trips to Washington, DC, Hawaii, Mexico City, and Acapulco where Don went deep sea fishing. The other men kidded him the former sailor was the only one who got sea-sick! He will be remembered most for his sense of humor and constant teasing of his grand kids and great grand-kids. He is survived by his wife and three children, five grandchildren (Cassie, Wade, Laura, John, Jessica), and seven great-grandchildren (Colton, Clayton, Becca, Joey, Aubrey, Lola, Mya), five siblings (Bobby, Peggy, Norm, Jerry, Marcia) and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death were his parents and five siblings (Junior, who was killed in WWII, Virginia, Audrey, Norma, Joan). Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an online registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com