Mary Kaye Klemish

Mary Kaye Klemish was born in Red Oak, Iowa, on November 17, 1942, to Mary and Robert "Bob" Van Aernam. She attended Stuart High School, where she was a 6-on-6 guard on the basketball team, sang in multiple choir ensembles, was active in the Thespian Club, and acted in the class play multiple years.

Following graduation, she moved to Des Moines and worked at Bankers Trust for a short time until she met the love of her life, Cleon Klemish, at a dance in Stuart.

They were married in Stuart, IA, on July 13, 1963, and would have celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2023. They farmed northwest of Adair for a short time and then moved south of town and have farmed in that area ever since. Their farming operation included cattle, hogs, and grain. Cleon and Kaye enjoyed travelling to Alaska and Ireland and taking winter trips to Arizona and Texas to visit friends.

Over the course of her 82 years, Kaye loved being a farm wife (most days), but also worked off the farm in many different jobs, including at the vet office in Stuart, Adair Feed and Grain, and Faga Implement in Adair. She was also an auction clerk in Greenfield and worked at the Farm Service (FS) plant in Canby for 20 years before "retiring" in 2009.

God graced their marriage with 2 children; James was born in 1966 and Mary Beth in 1969. Later in life she became a grandma to Jacob in 2003 and Joseph in 2005. She had fun coloring Easter eggs with her grandsons and one year grew white pumpkins for them where she etched their names early in the season so the scarring showed up distinctly in the fall. As they got older she attended many of their sports activities and vocal concerts.

Kaye was involved in the community in a variety of ways. She had a beautiful voice and sang at many funerals and weddings over the years. She was a member of the St. John's Catholic church, taught Catechism to the youth and was active with the Altar and Rosary women's group. Kaye also enjoyed being on the Adair County Fair Board, acting as the Eureka township clerk and most recently as a Summit Township trustee. She was currently serving on the Adair County Health board and enjoyed being active with the Lion's Club organization, once women were allowed to be part of the group.

She was a very social person and enjoyed being a part of the Willing Workers neighborhood club and playing cards with the same group of couples for approximately 50 years. After Cleon passed away, she started a breakfast club to gather with friends on Saturday mornings. Kaye and Cleon loved to go dancing over the years and she never lost her love for music, even when she wasn't able to dance later in life. It was her nature to open her doors for anyone and she had a few additional "kids" around over the years. This could be why many people knew her as "Mama Kaye." Her welcoming spirit also resulted in finding enough food and room at the table if someone showed up at dinnertime unannounced.

She passed away on Tuesday, October 1, 2025, at the age of 82 years, 11 months, and 14 days. She is survived by her son, James Klemish (Amy); daughter, Mary Beth Martin (Donny); grandsons, Jacob Martin and Joseph Martin; and several in-laws, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Cleon Klemish; her parents, Bob and Mary Van Aernam; her brother and sister-in-law, Dick and Carol Van Aernam; and her nephew, Bob Van Aernam.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, October 06, 2025, at St. John Catholic Church in Adair, IA. Interment will take place following the mass at St. John Catholic Church Cemetery in Adair. Following the committal, a luncheon will be held in the Parish Center of the Church in Adair.

Visitation with the family will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 5, 2025, at St. John Catholic Church in Adair.

Memorials may be directed to the Klemish Family, to be designated at a later date in Memory of Kaye. They may be mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home P.O. Box 523, Atlantic, IA 50022.

The Klemish Family appreciates everyone's love and support during this difficult time following Kaye's passing. Your thoughts and prayers are truly valued.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home of Adair.