Lawrence Henry Klema Sr. was born on May 11, 1940, to William and Nona (Suck) Klema in Patch Grove. He graduated from Patch Grove High School in 1958 and married Theresa Mae Johnson on Oct. 10, 1963.

He is survived by his four children: William Klema (Tamara Farrell) of Clearwater, Florida; Scott (Colleen) Klema of Earlville, Illinois; Shelly (Mark) Mikkelson of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; and Larry (Tina) Klema Jr. of Mendota, Illinois; his 11 grandchildren: Logan (Jenna) Mikkelson, Haley (Ben) Siehoff, Jared (Yaprak) Mikkelson, Michaela (Jon) Olson, Stone (Rebekah) Klema, Maddy Klema, Jordan Klema (Ryan Lueck), Nicholas Klema, Nathan (Brooke) Klema, Rylee Klema, and Trekker Klema; and his nine great-grandchildren, with one on the way and many more to come. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law, Patty (Ken) Hausner and Lorraine (Jerry) Johnson.

He was preceded in death by his wife and his parents.

Larry was happiest near the water or in his workshop. He was a master of the craft of knife-making and a regular at local gun shows. He loved the Wisconsin River and cheering on the Green Bay Packers. To Larry, nothing beat a cold Pabst Blue Ribbon and the company of good friends and family.

He was an ironworker by trade, a member of Ironworkers Local #393 (now Local #498), and a business owner in Illinois for many years. He could tell stories and jokes with the best of them.

He will be greatly missed by all who had the joy of knowing him.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 18, at Kramer-Grau Funeral Homes & Crematory, 512 Canal St., Bloomington, Wisconsin. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the service at 1 p.m., followed by burial at Bagley Cemetery. Per Larry’s request, there will be no formal meal following the service; instead, the family invites you to join them for a Pabst Blue Ribbon toast in his honor at Lucky’s Bar and Grill, 150 S. Bagley Ave., Bagley, Wisconsin.

Online condolences: www.kramergraufuneralhomes.com.