Wade Jerel Klema
Wade Jerel Klema passed away peacefully at his home in Gonvick, Minnesota on June 20, 2026, at the age of 62, with his beloved wife Kelly by his side.
Funeral Services will be on Friday, June 26, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Samhold Lutheran church in Gonvick, Minnesota. A gathering of friends and family will be on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at the Cease Family Funeral Home Chapel in Bagley from 5:00 – 7:00 pm with a prayer service at 6:00 pm. Visitation will also be one hour prior to the services at the church.
Wade was born to Willis & Yvonne (Nelson) Klema on September 26,1963 in Bagley, MN. He grew up on a farm north of Gonvick and was baptized and confirmed at United Lutheran Church in Berner, MN. He attended school in Gonvick and graduated from Gonvick High School in May of 1981.
Wade was a proud father to his daughter Karli as well as his stepsons Matt (Turtle) and Jason (Gub) Bergman whom he helped raise from a very young age.
Wade married Kelly Brooks on June 11, 2016. They had been classmates in school but hadn’t seen each other again until the all-school reunion in 2015. It was an instant connection and true love and devotion from the very beginning. Wade loved Kelly’s children Nathan and Brittney (Luca) as if they were his own.
Wade spent most of his working years as a heavy equipment operator and foreman for Northern Pipeline and Michaels Pipeline. He was a highly valued employee and had life long friendships with many of his co-workers. He retired in October 2018 due to complications from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) which was diagnosed on July 9, 2018.
Wade worked hard and he also played hard. In his free-time he loved to do landscaping and to hunt and fish. He bagged plenty of deer and caught enough fish to restock Red Lake. He was also thrilled to have shot a bear that was over 400# before he got too sick to hunt. He had planned to do landscaping in retirement.
Wade was well known for his ability to grow giant pumpkins. He grew many winning pumpkins and had one that ranked 11th in the world. The largest pumpkin was named Dolly in 2023. She officially weighed in at a whopping 2,237 pounds. Kelly and JJ Solberg were invaluable partners in growing the pumpkins but Wade was the “brains”!!
Wade always had an easy smile and a twinkle in his eyes. He was full of laughter, quick with comebacks and had a knack for making others feel valued, loved and welcome. There were no strangers in his world. Wade had a mind like a steel trap. He could remember EVERYTHING! Including everyone’s birthdays from grade school and phone numbers of friends and family from growing up. He would often call classmates and friends on their birthdays just to remind them, not only that he remembered but especially that he cared. He truly had a heart of gold and an easy sense of humor. He will be dearly missed by many.
Wade is survived by his beloved wife Kelly, daughter Karli, stepchildren Matt Bergman and his son Cameron; Jason Bergman and Nathan and Brittney Munyon, siblings Wesley (Lois) Klema, Norma (Warren ‘Hogan’) Erickson, Marilyn (Jim) Sundquist, Warren ‘Buck’ Klema, Wendell ‘Punko’ Klema, William ‘Billy’ (Daphne) Klema, parents-in-law John and Barbra Brooks Jr., sisters-in-law Kristi (Jack) Doyle, Cindy (Jeff) Engebretsen, Wendy (Doug) Larsen and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents Willis and Yvonne Klema, brothers-in-law Darrell Lene and John Brooks III and niece Jennifer Klema.
In lieu of flowers, memorial can be made to HARK-ALS; https://hark-als.org/
Team Gleason; https://teamgleason.org/
I AM ALS; https://www.iamals.org
Messages of condolence may be sent to ceasefuneralhome.com