Kleiss, Frances Helen 1914-2000

KLEISS, HAYES, GRAHAM, HUCKE, DEVILDER, HARTSHORN, BURNELL, LANG, BOLEN, ABEL

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 6/8/2011 at 05:58:14

The Grinnell Herald-Register; Dec. 28, 2000

FRANCES KLEISS

Frances Helen Graham Kleiss, 86, of rural Brooklyn died Monday, Dec. 18, at Metropolitan Medical Center in Des Moines.

Funeral services were conducted Friday at the Madison Church of Christ, rural Brooklyn, with Dennis Smith, minister, officiating. Organist was Jan Read, and pianist was Robin Jons. Vocalists were Robin Jons and Steve Hucke. Casket bearers were John Hall, Ronald Read, Laurel Keller, David Hendrickson, Marvin Keller and Mark Lang.

Interment was in Brooklyn Memorial Cemetery, with Nevenhoven Funeral Services in charge of arrangements.

The daughter of Brownlie and Dora Hayes Graham, she was born Dec. 20, 1914, at Maplehurst Farm near Brooklyn. She received her early education in rural schools and graduated from Brooklyn High School in 1931.

On Feb. 21, 1933, she was married to Herbert Ernest Kleiss. They operated a dairy farm for most of their farming career, at one time delivering milk in the Brooklyn area as Kleiss Quality Dairy. At the time of her final illness, Mrs. Kleiss was still livilng on that farm, her home for 67 years.

She was a member of the Madison Church of Christ where she taught adult Sunday school classes for many years and served in women's groups. She served as church clerk for over 50 years. She was also a long-time member of the Emanon Club of Brooklyn.

Surviving are two daughters, Laura Hucke of Fredericksburg and Margery DeVilder of Brooklyn; one son, Paul of Ulman, Mo.; 14 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; three sons, Lewis, Richard and Alan; two brothers, Archie and Paul Graham; and five sisters, Jeanetta Clayton Hartshorn, Sarah Burnell, Agnes Lang, Carrie Bolen and Olive Abel; and one great-grandson.

A memorial fund has been established.