Anneliese Gertrud Kleckner

Anneliese was born on December 1, 1923 in Stuttgart, Germany to Karl and Emilie Halt. She came from a large family with eleven brothers and sisters. Her family faced many challenges during World War II, including losing their home and being separated as a family when the city was bombed. She graduated from trade school with a specialization in fine china, crystal and silver, and enjoyed working in retail sales. She met her husband Edward, an American Army officer, at the end of the war. They married in Stuttgart and returned to the United States, where Edward received his M.B.A. degree at Harvard Business School. They welcomed their first child Stephen, and moved to Denver, Colorado, where daughter Elaine was born. After Edward accepted a professorship in the Business School at Colorado State University, they moved to Fort Collins, where Anneliese was a homemaker and sons Mark and David were born. Anneliese returned to retail sales in housewares at J.C. Penney when all children were of school age. She relocated to Colorado Springs to be closer to her children following her husband’s death.

Anneliese volunteered for many years at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs and at the Pioneers Museum in the archives. She was a member of Broadmoor Community Church and the local retired military officer’s wives organization.

Anneliese was a devoted wife, mother and sister. She was always physically active, enjoying a YMCA membership into her nineties, and she cherished spending time in the mountains of Colorado and her native Germany. She loved travelling with family. She was an accomplished cook and seamstress, and her creative flair was apparent in her lovely home. She was young at heart and a free spirit, enjoying every day and experience as a new adventure.

She is preceded in death by her husband Edward John Kleckner, who died in Fort Collins in 1987, and her son Stephen, who died in Fort Collins at the age of 12. Anneliese is survived by her daughter Elaine Kleckner in Colorado Springs, son Mark Kleckner (Tracey Snow) in Aspen, and son David Kleckner (Mary Burdis) in Colorado Springs. She is also survived by sisters Gretel Paulsen, Anita Friedrich, and Elizabeth Leske in Germany, sister Isolde Kimber in the United Kingdom, and brother Karl Halt (Susi) in Australia.

A memorial service to celebrate Anneliese’s life will be scheduled at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please provide donations in her memory to the Alzheimer’s Association or the American Cancer Society. Condolences can be offered through swan-law.com.