Ray Kleinow (1930-2021)

KLEINOW, HENRY

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 4/3/2021 at 20:04:22

Ray Kleinow, age 90, died Thursday, April 1, 2021 at the Monticello Nursing and Rehabilitation Center following a brief illness.
Services will be held at a later date to be announced. By visiting Goettschonline.com you may share your thoughts, memories and condolences with Ray’s family and sign the online guest book.
Surviving is his wife, Ruth, 6 children, Mike (Kathy) Kleinow, North Liberty, Jane (Doug) Cedarholm, Rochester, MN., Barb (Robert) Funke, Fontenelle, Linda Kleinow, Monticello, Mary (Gary) Dura, Dubuque, a daughter-in-law, Sharon Kleinow, Iowa City, 2 step-daughter, Tammy Koch, Bloomington, MN., Sara Koch-Stanley, Johnston, 9 grandchildren, Heather, Amber, Jason, Justine, Jarrod, Erin, Alex, Lydia, Carson, 4 great-grandchildren, Tyler, Teddy, Leo and Lillian. He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Patricia, a son Robert and siblings, Pauline Westphal, Harriet Calkins, Geraldine Edwards, Henry Kleinow Jr. and Mary Nesvik.
Raymond LeRoy Kleinow was born April 14, 1930 at McGregor, Iowa. He was the son of Henry and Elizabeth Henry, Kleinow. Ray graduated from the McGregor Highs school in 1950. Ray started working for the railroad. He then went to work for the U.S. Forest Service in Idaho trying to control Blister Rust in the pine trees. He returned home after 3 months and was drafted. Ray served 4 years in the United States Navy during the Korean War. He started working for Northwestern Bell in Marion, Iowa following his return from military duty. Ray married Patricia Carrier on August 4, 1956 at Guttenberg, Iowa. The couple moved to Monticello in 1959 where Ray worked for Northwestern Bell until he retired in 1992. Pat preceded him in death on May 17, 1993. Ray married Ruth Simmons Koch, November 22, 1997 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Monticello.
Ray was active in the Monticello Community. He was a member of the United Church of Monticello, a volunteer firefighter for 20 years, he operated the time clock at both football and basketball games and served on the Monticello City Council for 6 years. Ray helped start the Girls Softball Program in Monticello by building the field that was eventually named Kleinow Field in his honor. In high school he was on the McGregor Basketball team that went to State in 1948.
Ray was an avid Green Bay Packer and St. Louis Cardinals Fan.