Obituary of Rodney Kleweno

Longtime Burlington-area resident Rodney Lee Kleweno passed away suddenly from heart failure on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at the age of 61. Rod was born August 5, 1948 to Ralph and Luella (Gross) Kleweno in Goodland, Kansas. He was the second of three children born to this union, with Sherry Kleweno (Wiedman) as his older sister and Roger Kleweno as his younger brother. Rod grew up in a farming and ranching environment north of Burlington along the Republican river, where he eventually made his permanent home until his death. Rod attended Idalia school, but ended up graduating from Saint Francis High in 1966. Following high school, he attended electronics trade school in Denver. He then made is home north of Burlington, Colorado and soon married Barbara Taylor in 1967. To this union was born Rod’s only child, Leesa Lynn in 1968. Leesa remained with her father until her graduation from Idalia High School in 1986. Rod enjoyed many hobbies and interests including fishing, cooking, traveling and - most especially - flying. He was a member of the AOPA (Aviator Owners Pilot Association) and maintained several private aircraft over his adult lifetime. Other ventures included irrigation pipe sales, bait shop management, and managing an active farm and ranch. He met and married Tita (Martino) Kleweno on April 16, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rod took a special interest in alfalfa-hay production. He developed center-pivot irrigation on his river-bottom farm and ranch, and sold thousands of tons of alfalfa to customers over many years until his death. His reputation for high-quality hay is well-established and persists to this day. Rod also was a talented welder, and had special skills for working with large equipment. Mechanical and electrical issues of all types were within his abilities to handle. He will be sadly missed by his wife Tita of Burlington, his daughter Leesa McCue, her husband Troy, and his grandchildren Mercedes and Austen McCue, all of Arriba. He will also be missed by many friends and members of his extended family. Preceding him in death are his parents.