Leonard Joseph Kluesner

Leonard Joseph Kluesner, 90, passed away peacefully with his loved ones at his side on Friday, June 7, 2024—the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He was born July 10, 1933, to Henry and Elizabeth (Reischman) Kluesner in Saint Joseph, Tennessee.

His family moved to the New Hamburg, MO area in 1940. He received an eighth-grade education in New Hamburg, then proceeded to graduate from the School of Hard Knocks after a lifetime of hard work and many exciting and challenging adventures.

He was a veteran of the Korean War, honorably serving from 1953-55.

Leonard married the love of his life, Edna Mae Cotner, daughter of Glen and Rose Cotner, on September 29, 1956, at Immaculate Conception Church in Jackson, MO. She survives of the home.

He was a member of the St. Joseph Sodality at St. Lawrence Parish as well as the Knights of Columbus Council #4311 in Oran, MO.

Leonard was a carpenter by trade—building homes and working on Catholic churches throughout Cape and Scott counties. While he made a living for his family working with Earl Dirnberger, Rufus Kluesner, Reinagel Construction, and Capital Construction, his true love was in creating exquisite works of art through his finish work. His well-worn, 13-ounce finishing hammer was a steady companion. The long hours of honing skills in Kenny Blue’s shop manifested into 33 grandfather clocks made for family and area priests. He gifted his last one to our own Fr. Daniel Belken in 2023 at the age of 90. Many have experienced the joy of receiving Leonard’s prized creations: inlaid tables of a variety of species, cabinetry built from trees harvested from the family farm, porch benches, crosses, lamps, bowls, gun cabinets, picture frames, charcuterie boards—even shooting match boards…There was an endless supply of his labor of love.

Most notably and more publicly admired are the pieces that can be found in both St. Lawrence and St. Denis churches. The altar, altar chairs, ambo, and podium in St. Lawrence, and many pieces at St. Denis were constructed by Leonard’s hands. Incredibly, he helped add the choir loft in the old log church with his brother Norbert from the trees the two helped plant when first moving to town decades prior. In 2017, he even built an altar so his son could get married there.

While construction was how he made his living and finish work his love, his true passion was for his wife and children. Leonard couldn’t have been prouder of the life he built with Edna, Gary, Dolores, David, Sharon, Pam, and Johnny. They couldn’t have been loved more…until the grandkids and great grandkids came along, of course. Playing cards, checkers, gardening, tending his chickens, and telling very colorful stories about the good old days. A petite man, Leonard was always cold. Family functions were like a six-hour sauna session. He was the life of the party even when there wasn’t one—and he enjoyed making everyone laugh. Just ask about the hoodoo stick. A true prankster, you knew he was up to something by the smirk on his face and twinkle in his eye. A good snipe hunt never hurt anybody.

Leonard didn’t have nine lives—it was more like seventeen. He survived lingual cancer, a heart attack and subsequent open-heart surgery, a broken neck, crushed his ankle in a tractor incident, cut off part of his finger, and had shoulder surgery after falling off an 18-foot scaffolding. He had knee replacement surgery (but was too stubborn to get the second one done), broke his pelvis by getting run over by a cow, accidentally lit himself on fire from the lard on his overalls while butchering pigs—dare we go on? He filled life to the fullest. Even at the tender age of 84, he learned to do the macarena. Ninety years is a long time to pack in the memories, and Leonard did it with gusto.

He had a strong Catholic faith and could often be heard saying the rosary even in his sleep. His beloved St. Lawrence Parish was precious to Leonard and his acts of service were innumerable.

Married for 67 years to his dear wife Edna, with six children, 13 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and one on the way, Leonard built a strong reputation on hard work, doing it right, but mostly, he built it on acts of love.

Let us all keep Leonard’s goodness and kindness alive as we celebrate his life.

He is survived by son Gary and Sue Kluesner and their family: son Gary Wayne and Deidre and children Colton and Tyler; and daughter Tracy and Brent Peters and children Carly Roth and Seth, Ross, and Tessa Peters.

Daughter Dolores and Ron Derrow and their family: son Bryan and Laura Eftink and children Luke and Emma; and daughter Becky and Pat Barry and children Logan and Aubrey.

Son David and Dolly Kluesner and their family: daughter Samantha and Matt Peters and children Dierks Simmons and Hailey Peters; and son Jerome Kluesner and daughter Abby Kluesner.

Daughter Sharon and Kenny Blue and their family: daughter Kristy and Tim Landewee and children Kolbey, Kayden, and Kyndall; and daughter Kelsey and Ethan Lee and children Kennedi and Raegan.

Daughter Pam and Floyd Blue and their family: daughter Heather and Jason Newcomb and children: Brendan, Jayden, Deklan, and baby Newcomb; daughter Bethany and Ian Soper and daughter Scarlett; daughter Katie Blue and Richard Cato; and son Matthew Blue.

Son John and Krista Kluesner and daughter Evan Keesee.

He is also survived by sisters Henrietta Dirnberger, Angela (Charlie) Klueppel, and Semina Seyer; a brother, Alfred Kluesner; three sisters-in-law, Arlene Biri, Virginia Cotner, and Catherine Hartle; and many nieces and nephews.

Leonard was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Norbert Kluesner; a sister, Marie Kluesner; by five brothers-in-law; Earl Dirnberger, Lester Seyer, Lester Biri, Robert Cotner, and Art Hartle; and two sisters-in-law, Arabella Kluesner and Rita Kluesner.

We wish to extend sincere appreciation to the nurses at Crown Hospice for their kind and compassionate care and all the friends and family who prayed for Leonard, provided food, or a kind word in our time of grief.

Parish prayers will be held at 3:30pm on Friday, June 14th at St. Lawrence Parish Center in New Hamburg, MO with visitation from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. The funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, June 15th at 10:00am with a brief eulogy prior to the Mass at 9:45am. Reverend Daniel Belken will officiate. Burial will be in St. Lawrence Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to St. Lawrence Catholic Parish, mailing address of P.O. Box 24, Benton, MO 63736.