Ray Kluever

Ray Duane Kluever of Richland, WA passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 10, 2022. He was born to Otto and Ottilie (Tillie) Kluever on July 1, 1934 on the family farm in Grand Rapids, ND. He attended a one-room schoolhouse and began working full-time at 16, first moving buildings, and later in construction until being drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served honorably from 1954-1956 in artillery and mechanized infantry, including a year in Germany. After returning home from the Army, on July 28th, 1957, he married Yvonne Sailer. They lived and worked on the Kluever family farm for three years before moving to the Pacific Northwest, settling in Toppenish, WA, where they raised four children. He worked as a truck driver and mechanic for various farmers until his retirement. In his younger years, he loved to dance with Yvonne, with their expert poise and footwork earning admiration and occasional applause from their fellow dancers. He especially loved dancing the polka and enjoyed polka music immensely even in his final days. Before and after he retired, he took great joy and pride in making wood projects in his shop, until his eyesight was too damaged by macular degeneration to continue. He enjoyed fishing, barbecuing, and delighted in his natural and many beloved adoptive grandkids. He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Yvonne, their four children and spouses, Rodney Kluever and spouse Jill, Rodney’s former spouse Barb (Banks) Kluever, Jeff Kluever and spouse Laura, Troy Kluever, Shelli (Kluever) Zulauf and spouse David, Shelli’s former spouse Rene Garza; grandchildren Kyle Kluever and spouse Lauren (Sandlin) Kluever, Gavin Garza and spouse Yuko Takahashi Garza, Megan Kluever, Cheyenne Kluever, and Ross Kluever, and great-granddaughter Evelyn Kluever. He is also survived by his brothers Warren Kluever and wife Naomi, Gary Kluever, and by sister Norma Johnson. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister June Becker, and a brother, Wallace, who died in childhood. Memorial services and reception to follow will be held at 10:30 at Zillah Christian Worship Center, 204 Cheyne Rd., Zillah, WA. Interment service will be conducted at Zillah Cemetery, 100 1st Ave, Zillah, WA at 12:30. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ray Kluever, please visit our flower store.