Rev. John Henry Kleweno, for 28 years pastor of the Ebenezer Lutheran church in Leaf Valley, passed away Thursday, May 21, at his home in this city at the age of 63 years, 5 months and 10 days. He had been in failing health for the past three years, having suffered four paralytic strokes. The last stroke occurred Sunday, May 17, and he did not regain consciousness from that time until his death.
John Henry Kleweno was born in Russia on December 11, 1867. At the age of nine years he came with his parents to America and the family located first in Kansas. In 1889 he entered a theological seminary at Springfield, Ill., and was graduated in 1894, when he entered the ministry. His first charge was at Bellingham, Minn. There, in 1895, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Schomburg. After two years service at Bellingham, he accepted a call to Edgeley, N.D., where he served a large mission field for five years. Then he came to the Ebenezer church in Leaf Valley, where he spent the rest of his ministry, serving that church faithfully until in 1929 when he was obliged to resign because of ill health. He bought a home in Alexandria and lived there up to the time of his death. Rev. Kleweno leaves to mourn his loss the bereaved widow and eight children: Edward, who lives in Alexandria; Henry of Usk, Washington; Arthur, Minneapolis; Esther (Mrs. Wm. Rodenberg) St. Paul; Amanda (Mrs. Roschen) Lake City, Minn.; Victor and Hertha, Alexandria, and Hugo, who is attending Concordia College at St. Paul. Three children, two sons and a daughter, died in childhood. He also leaves two brothers: Adam Kleweno, St. John, Washington, and Peter Kleweno, Genesee, Idaho; four half-brothers: Chris Kleweno, Endicott, Wash.; Philip Kleweno, Spokane, Wash.; John Kleweno; a half sister, Mary Greene, and a step brother and step sister: John Phoffenrod and Mary Phoffenrod, all of Endicott, Wash. There are also six grandchildren. Funeral services were held at the Zion Lutheran church Monday morning at 10:30. Rev. A. Bartz had charge; Rev. H. Weseloh of Carlos spoke in German and Rev. J. A. Malkow of Garfield in the English language. The body laid in state at the church until one o'clock and was then taken to the Ebenezer church in Leaf Valley where services were held, Rev. Bartz preaching in German and Rev. J. A. Schumacher of Sauk Centre, in English. The funeral was one of the largest ever held in the church, about 1200 people attending, including 40 ministers. The pallbearers were five sons and a son-in-law of the deceased: Edward, Henry, Arthur, Victor and Hugo Kleweno and Wm. Rodenberg. Honorary pallbearers were the deacons of the Ebenezer church of Leaf Valley: Frank Wussow, Emil Brueske, Fred Brueske, David Klug, Wm. Schmidt and Wm. Froemming, the latter, the oldest member of the Leaf Valley church. Interment was in the church cemetery.
(Park Region Echo, 28 May 1931)