Pastor Ken Klaus
October 20, 1948 ~ March 23, 2023
Kenneth Richard Klaus, son of blacksmith Richard and homemaker, Jeanette, was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois in October of 1948. He was doubly blessed with a parochial education. Doubly blessed because of the knowledge received and because there he met his wonderful and God-given helpmeet, Pamela. In August of 1970 they were married at their home church. Their marriage was blessed with three very special children: Kurt, who is married to Jodi and is a Pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Lakeville, Minnesota. Kirsten, a school teacher who is married to Jeff Lenzen in Chaska, Minnesota and Kristianna who is an occupational therapist and married to James Boren in Mabank, Texas.
After he graduated from Springfield Seminary, he served as Pastor in Edgemont and Hot Springs, South Dakota; Danville, Illinois; Lakefield and Chaska, Minnesota and Dallas, Texas. For his work among the Lakota of Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, he was given a Native American name by the granddaughter of Chief Red Cloud. In 2002, he became speaker for The Lutheran Hour. During his time on the Lutheran Hour, stations increased from under 800 to 1,380. In retirement he continued to speak on that broadcast, write Daily Devotions and other publications. In December of 2005, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Concordia University in Mequon and in 2014 was selected as Alumni of the Year at that same institution.
Preceded in death by his parents, Pastor was welcomed into heaven by his Savior on March 23, 2023. Those whom he will see upon their arrival in paradise are his wife, Pamela. Kurt along with his wife, Jodi and their son, Braeden (Braedster), Kirsten with her husband Jeff and children Keenan (The Keenster), Ellianna (Elliemeister) and Trayton (Traytonovitch), Kris with her husband James. Others who will also be coming are: brother Tom and his wife Karen of Palatine, Illinois; sister Jan and her husband Bill Mayyou of Prospect Heights, Illinois, other saved family and redeemed friends which include Rich Cohrs, Trudy Bakalyar, Kathie Lenzen, and Pastor Barry Keurulainen, as well as redeemed friends from all around the world.
Funeral services for Kenneth Klaus are to be conducted at eleven o'clock in the morning on Friday, the 31st day of March 2023 at Saint Peter Lutheran Church, 130 Luther Lane, Gun Barrel City, Texas 75156. Pastor D. R. Nelson and Pastor Kurt Klaus will be officiating the service.
Friends are invited to visit with the family one hour prior to the start of the service at Saint Peter Lutheran Church.
Honored to serve as pallbearers are Rich Cohrs, Mike Boren, James Boren, Jeff Atkinson, Perrin Roller, Braeden Klaus, Bill Mayyou and Tom Klaus.
Those unable to attend may watch the live-streaming accessible at https://www.facebook.com/events/1365925064241386
Following the service, Pastor Klaus will be cremated.
On Tuesday, the 11th day of April 2023, a memorial service and inurnment will be held at St. John's Lutheran Church, 300 E. 4th Street, in Chaska, Minnesota at eleven o'clock in the morning. The family will begin receiving visitors at ten o'clock in the morning. Immediately following the memorial service, all are invited to greet the family and share remembrances during a reception at a venue to be announced during the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be directed towards Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1515 Loop 256, Palestine, Texas 75801, Saint Peter Lutheran Church, 130 Luther Lane, Gun Barrel City, Texas 75156, and Bethesda Lutheran School, 1537 Baltimore Ave., Hot Springs, South Dakota, 57747.
Funeral and cremation services for Kenneth Richard Klaus are in care of Rhone Funeral Home, 3900 S. State Highway 19, Palestine, Texas. We invite you to take a moment to share fond memories and words of comfort and condolence with his family by selecting the "Share a Memory" icon.
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Pastor Klaus was a blessing to Bethlehem Lutheran Church. His humor & understanding & kindness was so genuine. He certainly helped us grow in our faith. He challenged us & guided us. I for one, am more deeply grounded in God’s love & grace. Thank you Pastor Klaus for this year that you pastored us.
I went to Israel with Pastor Klaus back in 2017. What a wonderful man and purveyor of God’s Word he was! You are with the Savior now ~ you’re home safe! God’s blessings to Pam and all of Pastor’s family and loved ones ~
What a faithful servant of the Word. He was a great blessing to my parents at St. John Lutheran in Chaska, MN. A personable, relational leader and fantastic preacher and writer for daily devotions. I remember that every Sunday my parents listened to the Lutheran Hour broadcast on the radio in the kitchen as well as attending church.
Dear family of Pastor Klaus,
I will always, always remember and hold close in my heart the email I received from Pastor Klaus after I emailed him because one of his daily devotion stories touched me so profoundly. It was a story about a family and an accident and how grateful they were that their child, Tyler, had not died. Pastor Klaus went on to say that he wondered if the father would have still said it was God’s Will if his son had indeed died. So in my email I just told him how much I understood what he was saying only because I too had thought it was God’s will when my son initially survived an overdose. But then when he later overdosed again and died, I had to understand and accept that this also was God’s will. I wrote Pastor Klaus a fairly long and heartfelt email and truly never expected a response. But he wrote back such a tender and beautiful response prior to Christmas that year we lost our son in 2012. It touched me and our family deeply. I’ve kept it all these years and treasure it and the message of hope and healing in our great Redeemer that he shared with us. In fact on Saturday, our youngest son who is now 29 and struggled greatly with his brother’s death, came up to me and said “Mom did you see Pastor Klaus died?” with a look of sorrow. It touched him too – my son of few words. We also loved reading all Pastor Klaus’ devotions thru the years and listening to him on the Lutheran Hour and watching him in the Baloney shop. He touched our lives here as I’m sure he touched many others with the Gospel message in truly meaningful ways. Just wanted you to know. You are in my thoughts and prayers and I rejoice that Pastor Klaus is now in heaven rejoicing with my oldest son and all those who have gone before us. God bless and keep you all in His perfect peace which truly does pass all understanding.
The Long family was so sorry to hear about our beloved cousin. He was an amazing man and religious leader. He will be deeply missed. We have donated 5 trees in his honor so that his love and inspiration can continue to grow.
With love and prayers,
Barb, Rick, Karen and Marlys
The Long family was so sorry to hear of the loss of our beloved cousin. He was an amazing man and religious leader and will be greatly missed in our family. In his honor, we have planted a grove of five trees so that his love and inspiration will continue to grow.
Barb, Rick, Karen and Marlys
Pastor Klaus is the reason my children were baptized in the Lutheran Church. We attended a wedding at St. John’s Lutheran in Chaska, MN. I remember thinking that he had a way of preaching that I enjoyed and learned from. A year or so later when it came time to have my daughter baptized, I went back to St. Johns and inquired about baptism. I told him I hadn’t been attending a church and he welcomed us with open arms, and said he would never turn away a child! But he did ask that I attend classes. I did…and so the journey began. Thankful for his direction toward the truth!! Little did I know at the time where that would take our family…..27 years later, still Lutheran and we all know our Savior! Grateful!
I always enjoyed listening to The Lutheran Hour with Pastor Ken Klaus. He was a true and faithful servant of the Lord. my thoughts and prayers are with you all at this time.
It was always a pleasure to work with Pastor Klaus at Lutheran Hour Ministries. Gracious, funny, a great storyteller, his life was marked by his faith in God and his devotion to family and ministry. He will be deeply missed.
To those who loved Pastor Klaus, please accept my heartfelt condolences.
My Grandmother, Nora Bottlinger, always listened to The Lutheran Hour from her farm if the weather kept here from going to church. I began listening because of her. The internet allowed me to listen to devotionals and Men’s network bible studies. I loved hearing Pastor Klaus.
It was with great joy and prayers answered when my daughter in law told me she was going to Pastor Klaus’s bible study in Palestine, Texas. I had hoped to join her one day and meet Pastor in person. Lutheran Hour listeners feel like we knew him. 💜âœï¸ðŸ’œ
God bless Pastor Klaus a very fine pastor