There are few in the community who were not in some way touched by the life of Joel Klusmann. He not only cared for those who lost loved ones, but he spent countless hours volunteering to help make Lennox a better community. Joel Klusmann 75, died Friday, January 9, 2015 at his home in Lennox.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 16 at Lennox Ebenezer Presbyterian Church. The service will begin at 1:30 p.m. Visitation will be held Thursday, January 15 also at Lennox Ebenezer Presbyterian with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m.
Pastors Mark Chase and Phil Postma will officiate at the funeral service. Larry Bunjer will be organist and Judy Fett, pianist.
The Lennox Ambulance Service will serve as honorary pallbearers.
Casketbearers will include Ken Shaffer, Ken Sayler, Harold Timmerman, Doug Meyer, John Anderson, and Paul Beukelman.
Interment will be in the Lennox Cemetery.
Joel Wilbur Klusmann was born at New Salem, North Dakota on December 3, 1939, the son of Wilbur H. and Golde (Stayton) Klusmann. He grew up there and graduated from New Salem High School in 1957. He lived in Bismarck, North Dakota and graduated from Bismarck State University with an Associate Degree in Pre-Mortuary Science. He then graduated from the Dallas Institute-Gupton Jones, College of Mortuary Science in 1962.
On September 2, 1961, he was united in marriage to Delphi Gill at Wilton, ND. Following their marriage they lived in Dallas, TX, Kenmare, ND, and Rapid City, SD before moving to Lennox, SD in August of 1965. He was employed at Dindot & Son Funeral Home and on September 1, 1983, purchased the business and re-named it Dindot-Klusmann Funeral Home.
Joel was a member of Lennox Ebenezer Presbyterian Church where he served as an Elder, a Deacon, a Sunday school teacher and camp nurse. He and wife Delphi served on a church planting team, that helped start Living Hope Community Church in Tea, SD.
Joel was an active member of the Lennox community. He helped organize the Lennox Area Ambulance Service, of which he became a lifetime member. He was an active member of the Lennox Commercial Club. He was a charter member of the Lennox Lions and had served as a Cub Scout Master for Pack 109 and an Assistant Boy Scout Master for Troop 109 from 1976 to 1990. In earlier years he had been a member of the Development Corporation and the Lennox Jaycees. In 1997 at age 57, he completed his EMT Basic course and rejoined the Lennox Ambulance as a Certified Emergency Medical Technician, retiring in 2008. Joel’s hobbies were feeding and watching birds and volunteering.
He was preceded in death by his father, on November 26, 1991, his mother, on November 30, 1996, his daughter, Jodi Klusmann on February 9, 1997 and one grandson Zachary Klusmann on January 26, 2002.
Grateful for having shared his life are his wife of over 50 years, Delphi; son Jay (Julie) Klusmann, Lennox; five grandchildren: Kelsi Klusmann (fiancée Jordan Stricherz), Brookings, SD, Tyler Klusmann, Sioux Falls, Benjamin Klusmann, Eygpt, Stanley and Wyden Klusmann; three sisters: JoAnn Petich, Denver, CO, JerryLou (Edward) Landis, San Jose, CA and Penny Golden, Denver as well as other relatives and many friends.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials to Lennox Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Living Hope Community Church, Tea or Mission Haiti.