Gustav Klaus passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 after a heroic battle with ALS. Gus was born on July 15, 1931 to Lydia (Witzke) and Ernst Klaus. In his early childhood he lived with his paternal grandparents learning all about husbandry such as gardening, orchards, and animal care – he often reminisced that these were the happiest years of his childhood igniting his love of farming. When he became school aged, Gus returned home to his parents and siblings. Then, in 1945, when his father and oldest brother were taken as prisoners of war, Gus became estranged from his family, as an adolescent on the run, trying just to survive. With a fierce determination to survive, eventually Gus was taken in by a family as a farm hand, where he was treated as a member of the family (we think it was because of that twinkle in his bright blue eyes). In 1950, the Red Cross became instrumental in reuniting Gus with his brother Oswald, and sister, Ella. After tumultuous teenage years in Germany, it was then in 1952, at the age of twenty, Gus immigrated to Canada.
After a long ocean voyage, where according to Gus, everyone got seasick except for him (he ate well on the voyage as those who were seasick were unable to eat their meals), he set foot on Canadian soil, at St John’s New Brunswick. When he arrived, the job he had been promised, was no longer available. He then hopped on a train to Dryden, Ontario where he worked in the bush, falling trees for a paper mill. It was hard physical work, in brutal winter conditions, but this did not compare to the rough times he endured as a teenager in Germany during World War II. After a long cold winter in Ontario, Gus began to head west in May 1952 stopping in Winnipeg to reconnect with relatives and friends. Drawn towards heading further west, in July 1952 Gus took a Greyhound bus all the way to Vancouver. In BC, Gus eventually found work in the bush near Golden. Looking for something more, in January 1953 Gus headed to Calgary where found work at a furniture factory, Boyd furniture, where he made furniture, some pieces that remain with us today. Upon the factory closure in 1954, Gus was hired on as a Special Delivery mail man with Royal Mail until 1961. It did not take long in Calgary for Gus, with that twinkle in his bright blue eyes, to catch the attention of a young lady, Eleanor Fritzler, marrying on November 11, 1955. In 1961, Karen was born followed by Kevin in 1964. At this time, Gus was now farming in the Nobleford area. In addition to farming and raising cattle, Gus also worked for Kenwood and Poole construction companies; never a dull moment on the Klaus farm. In 1986, looking for relief from irrigation, a family farm was purchased north west of Didsbury. It is here that Gus actively farmed until present, with his son, Kevin. In May 2018 Gus was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 86. With fierce determination, Gus continued to do as much farming as he could as ALS continued to chip away at his body. However, his strong spirit, will, and determination that had sustained him through many a hard time, allowed him to stay on the farm, to then pass away peacefully at home on March 11, 2020. Gus is predeceased by his father, Ernst, his mother Lydia, his brothers, Oswald and David, and his sister Ella. He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Eleanor, his son, Kevin, and daughter, Karen (Darrell Hitchings), his treasured granddaughters, Diane and Hailey as well as brother, Edmund and sister, Olga. Dad lived his life to the fullest, doing what he was passionate about, spending time with family and farming for over sixty years. Although not large in stature, dad was strong in spirit, will and determination with a work ethic, surpassed by none. He had a quiet soul, with a faith in God that translated to a kind, loving and generous individual. We will miss dad’s twinkly bright blue eyes and fun loving character, and we will be forever grateful for his time on this earth. We would like to especially thank the ALS Society, Calgary Region, the ALS Clinic at South Campus, Calgary and the Didsbury Home Care team who provided care and comfort to Gus during his illness. Gus will be laid to rest at a burial service at Westerdale Cemetery, Olds, AB on Tuesday, March 17 at 1pm. A Celebration of Gus’ life will be held at a later date.

 

• Date : 2020-03-18
• Location : www.HeartlandFuneralServices.com