Arthur Kleis

Arthur Kleis, 92, of St. Charles died Thursday, March 24, 2016 at his home surrounded by his family. A visitation will be held from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m., Sunday, March 27, at Ochiltree Funeral Service in Winterset. A graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 28, at the St. Charles Cemetery near St. Charles. Memorials may be directed to the family and online condolences may be left for the family at ochiltree.com. Arthur Frank Kleis, son of John and Pauline (Cepka) Kleis, was born March 25, 1923, in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Annapolis High School in 1941. Arthur was united in marriage with Bertha Daywalt on June 16, 1942, in Annapolis, Maryland. Five children were born to this union. Arthur served in the Navy for 20 years, retiring on August 15, 1962. He served during World War II and the Korean Conflict. Arthur was an MU-2, Bass Player for the Navy. The couple lived in San Diego, California for 32 years before moving to Iowa in 1982. They lived in Clio for 12 years and moved to St. Charles in 1994. He was a member of the St. Mary Catholic Church in St. Mary, Iowa. Arthur loved old cars, his 1946 Ford Truck being one of his favorites. He stayed busy collecting pop cans around Madison County and redeemed them for cash. Above all else, he was a loyal husband, father, grandfather and patriot who cherished the time he was able to spend with his family and friends. Arthur is survived by his wife of 73 years, Bertha Kleis of St. Charles; children, Victor Kleis of San Diego; Sandra O’Neil of Des Moines; Bonnie (Robert) Kuhns of Bethany; Pamela (Douglas) Jones of Oceanside, CA; 13 grandchildren; several great grandchildren; sister, Joan Thompson of Lady Lake, FL; nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, son, Arthur Jr., and sister, Grace.