Ollie D Kliewer

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Monday, January 7, at 11 a.m. at Central Christian Church in Killeen for Ollie Fern DeCou Kliewer, 89. Mrs. Kliewer died Saturday, December 29, at Adventist Health Hospital (Metroplex Hospital) after a brief illness. She was born on March 18, 1929, near Longton, Kansas, to Goldie Fern Myers DeCou and William Hale DeCou.

Ollie attended school in Lafontaine, Kansas, and served as president of her senior class. While in high school she met the love of her life, William Gerald (Bill) Kliewer. They were married on November 9, 1947, in Fredonia, Kansas, before moving to Weatherford, Oklahoma, where Bill was living and farming.

The young family was blessed with two sons, William Philip (Bill) Kliewer and George Samuel (Sam) Kliewer. While her husband worked in farming, construction, and electrical contracting, Ollie supported him in his businesses by driving a tractor, picking cotton, and keeping the books. In 1964, with Ollie's support, Bill started his own electrical contracting business before joining the Shell Pipeline Company. Bill's work for Shell took the family to Cushing, Oklahoma, St. James, Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana, and finally to Beaumont, Texas. In 1969, with her children old enough to care for themselves, Ollie began working at Arthur Coplon Ltd. department store, ultimately becoming a buyer for the women's department and making many enjoyable buying trips to New York City.

When Bill retired from Shell in 1991, the couple moved to Killeen to be near their children and grandchildren. They loved attending various sporting, dance, and school events in which the grandchildren were involved.

Throughout her life, Ollie was devoted to her family and to her church, often sacrificing her personal life for the needs of others. The family enjoyed taking vacations together and seeing countless baseball games, including the Oklahoma City AAA team, the Yankees, and the Astros. Ollie loved reading books and studying the Bible. She was the last surviving member of the Master Adult Sunday School class at Central Christian Church, and she was recently able to enjoy her first great grandchild.

Mrs. Kliewer was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her brother Hale DeCou. She is survived by two sons, William P. Kliewer and his wife Mary of Salado and George S. Kliewer and his wife Tatiana of the Woodlands. Also surviving are two grandchildren, John W. Kliewer of Austin and Meredith A. Kliewer Spears and her husband Tyler also of Austin, and one great granddaughter, Alexandra Leigh Spears.

Memorials may be made to the Central Christian Church or to the Killeen Food Care Center.