Roland Kleen

Roland Carl "Bud" Kleen was born on November 2, 1930 at Ansel Township, Cass County, Minnesota to Bernhard and Martha Kleen. Bud attended Lincoln County School for 8 years and then graduated from Pine River High School in 1947. Bud entered the US Air Force in 1950 and was honorably discharged in 1953 after serving his country as a member of the occupation force in Germany. He was united in marriage with Jean Ann Coles in Minneapolis, MN on September 14, 1957. Bud worked in the aircraft maintenance field for 20 years, working for aircraft charter companies in Winona, MN, Madison, WI and on a project in Oakland, CA. He worked for North Central Airlines in Minneapolis from 1962 to 1972. Bud and his family moved to Bertha in 1971 to work for Cary Dray Line and he purchased the school buses in 1981. He retired in 1992 due to health problems. Bud was active in his community as a member of the William Larson American Legion Post 366 in Bertha, the Bertha-Hewitt School Board and ECSU-5 Board chairman. He spent his leisure time "tinkering with old cars, children and watermelon wine." Bud passed away on Friday, January 30, 2004 at the Tri-County Hospital in Wadena at the age of 73. Bud was preceded in death by his parents Bernhard and Martha, brother Donald Kleen and great niece Miranda Denise Adams. He is survived by his wife Jean; daughter Barb (Steve) Weishair of Eagle Bend; sons Gary (Kathy) of Bertha and James of Savannah, GA; grandchildren Robin Weishair, Anna Kleen, Katie Weishair, Melanie Weishair and Jacob Weishair; brother Ben (Irene) of Wadena; and sisters Virginia Oberg of Hitchcock, TX, Elsie McLaughlin of Willmar, MN, Lucille "Toots" Paulson of Fergus Falls, MN, Marilyn Pollard of Vancouver BC, Marianne "Bev" Potratz of Park Rapids and Kathy Fischer of Sheboygan, WI. Honorary pallbearers are Bill Umland, John Bauer, Roland Gilbert, Jerome "Smoke" Hokanson, Mervin Klatt and Harlan Fischer. Active pallbearers are Ken Nelson, Dale Graphenteen, Galen Schultz, Russ Vandenheuvel, Stan Nelson, Richard Anderson, Greg Kleen and Neil Schlichting. Interment is in the MN State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls, Minnesota.

Roland Kleen

November 2, 1930 - January 30, 2004