Leo Gabriel Klenc

Leo Gabriel Klenc, 93, passed away in Thousand Oaks, California on 29 August, 2017. Leo is predeceased by his parents, John Jospeh Klenc and Ida Hochstetter of St. Louis, his wives, Vivienne Pavey and Lorraine Meicher, and his four siblings. Leo is survived by six children: son, Stephen of Tulsa, Okla.; daughter, Linda and husband John Oliver of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; son, Larry and wife Lori of Sparta, Wis.; son, Richard and wife Julie of Anderson, Mo.; son, James and wife Charito of Honolulu, Hawaii; and son, John and wife Dena of Avoca, Ark. He leaves behind 12 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and countless friends and loved ones in multiple countries. Leo was born on October 29, 1923 in Tontitown, Arkansas, where and he was raised by his father, John, who was a carriage maker and farmer. Leo was baptized at Saint Joseph's church in Tontitown, which he later helped rebuild in the 1930s. Klenc Road in Tontitown is named after his family, whose farm was located there. Leo attended University High School in Fayetteville, and worked at the family farm and helped his father at carriage making until he was drafted into the US Army in May of 1943. He was shipped to the South Pacific and arrived at Australia in January, 1944. He was assigned to Recon Platoon, the 112th Calvary Regiment, of the Texas National Guard, and sent to New Guinea. Leo fought in 4 major battle campaigns in the Pacific during World War II. On October 1944, he joined General MacArthur and landed on Leyte Island, in the Philippines, where he was wounded in action and awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He was shipped to Japan and watched as the Japanese formally surrendered on the USS Missouri on September of 1945. Leo was honorably discharged, and upon returning home, started a career as a tile-setter in Tulsa, OK. In 1954 he married Vivienne Pavey of Iron Mountain, Mich., where they settled to raise their family for 18 years. They moved to Springdale, Ark. for 17 years before returning to Michigan. They were married for 42 years, and Leo cared for and nursed Vivienne until she succumbed to cancer. Several years later he married Lorraine Meicher, and they spent 10 happy years together until her passing. Leo was an avid outdoors man and loved hunting, fishing and finding wild mushrooms, except on Sundays if the Green Bay Packers were playing! He loved old country music and polkas, and discovered later in life that he loved to dance. Leo was curious, intelligent, and enjoyed learning new things. He loved attending the Tontitown Grape Festival, playing bocce ball, dancing at the senior center, and holding court in the mornings over coffee at McDonalds. He never lost his sharp mind and memory, and shared endless stories of his time in the military. Leo was a lifelong member of the Catholic Church, and looked forward to reuniting with his loved ones in heaven. He was much loved and respected, a proud member of the Greatest Generation, and he will be missed by all. Leo was buried in Iron Mountain, Michigan on September 7th, 2017. Condolences to the family of Leo Klenc may be expressed online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com.