White Funeral Home
1315 Main Street
Jesup, Iowa 50648

JESUP - Leroy John Klendworth, 84 years old, of rural Independence, IA, died of natural causes, Thursday, October 31, 2024, at his home.

Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m. - Monday, November 4, 2024, at the First United Methodist Church in Jesup, IA, with burial at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Independence.

Visitation will be 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Sunday, November 3, 2024, at the White Funeral Home, Jesup, IA, and will continue for an hour before services, Monday, at the church.

Leroy was born July 31, 1940, in Streator, IL, the son of Roy Eugene Klendworth and Velma Bernice (Smith) Klendworth. He attended school in Dana, Illinois and graduated from Minonk-Dana-Rutland High School in Minonk, IL, with the class of 1959. While in high school he married Sharon (Scoggan) Harper. They would divorce in 1967. On August 29, 1969, he married Laura Frances Melrose (Orr) Friedrich at the First United Methodist Church in Jesup.

Early on, Leroy worked as a delivery truck driver. He hauled everything from bread to lumber to tractors. He also worked as a fertilizer scale operator, and eventually became the fertilizer plant manager. Leroy also started to learn to weld. He was recruited to go to welding apprentice school and started to work with the Ironworkers Union. Leroy moved to Iowa and worked out of the Cedar Rapids, IA, office of Holeman Erection Co., building silos throughout the area. He picked up other contract work in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo and in 1976, Leroy started working as a mechanic at John Deere in Waterloo. He worked there until his retirement in 2002. After retirement he continued to work, doing maintenance for Magee Construction Co. of Dunkerton, IA. Over the years, he farmed and when Deere was on shutdown in the 1980’s, he continued to do iron work. He proudly worked on some local landmarks including the original construction of the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, IA; the Nuclear Plant in Palo, IA; and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, in Iowa City, IA. He was a member of the Ironworkers Union and the UAW Local 838 in Waterloo.

In his spare time, Leroy liked to hunt and fish and was a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. He was an active member of First United Methodist Church in Jesup.

Leroy is survived by his wife of 55 years, Laura Klendworth of Independence; his children, Phillip (Rita) Klendworth of Benbrook, TX, Brent (Cindy) Klendworth of Fairbank, IA, Randall (Nancy) Friedrich of Independence; 11 grandchildren, Chad (April) Klendworth, Brian (Catherine) Klendworth, Dana (Josh) Bair, Kyle (Julia) Klendworth, Justin Klendworth, Jeremy (Amanda) Klendworth, Mackenzie (Rachael) Klendworth, Jason (Annette) Pilcher, Rachelle (Jason) Hesse, Zane (Erin) Yandow, Felicia (Wes) Cooper; 21 great grandchildren; one sister, Sally Seggerman of Minonk, IL; and one son-in-law, Ernest Yandow of Jesup.

He is preceded in death by his parents; one son, Todd Neil Klendworth, two daughters, Laura Blanche (Friedrich) Wieland and Robin Lynn (Friedrich) Pilcher Yandow; one brother, Jack Klendworth; and one brother-in-law, Ron Seggerman.

Memorials may be directed to the church.

Condolences may be left at White-MtHope.com
White Funeral Home, Jesup, IA, is in charge of arrangements.