Maurice Klee, 84, Council Grove, Kan.

Maurice Klee, the father of Patty Klee Schmitt (Glenwood) died on Aug. 21, 2010, in Council Grove, Kan. He was 84 years old. He was also the grandfather of Skyler, Scarlett and Tyson Schmitt, and the father-in-law of Tom Schmitt. Services were held Thursday, Aug, 26, 2010, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Council Grove.
    M. Klee was born to Patrick L and Louise Klee in McCracken, Kan., on Feb. 14, 1926. He was a premature baby so his mother was warned that he might not live through the night, but due to his strong will he prevailed and had a healthy childhood growing up on the family farm. There is a family story that M. Klee avoided attending first grade by hiding behind the barn each day. Finally a truant officer visited the family to determine the problem. M. Klee explained that since his Mom had taught him to read before first grade started, there was nothing to learn in school. The school decided to put him into the second grade. He survived grade school, the dust bowl and the depression and was ready to graduate from McCracken High School at the age of 17. His principal called M. Klee and another young man into his office and told them that he had recommended them for a special officer training program which would begin in May. They rode the train into Kansas City and were sworn into the navy before they graduated. He spent time on the East Coast, Puerto Rico and Cuba while in the Navy.
    Upon ending his military career in 1946 as an Ensign, he enrolled in the engineering program at General Motors in Michigan. He met his lovely bride, Cellie at General Motors and courted her for two-and-a-half years until they married in Downers Grove, Ill., in November 1949, shortly after his graduation. After several engineering jobs in Illinois, Klee was ready for a new challenge and decided to attend Kansas University to complete his M.S. degree in engineering. In 1957 he purchased a small farm north of Lawrence and continued to teach at KU and farm in the evenings. He and Cellie added the sixth baby to the crew before M. Klee walked up the Campanile to receive an MS in engineering in 1958. He was hired as a full-time teacher at KU after receiving his MS. He also continued to farm because he enjoyed it so much.
    M. Klee loved adventure! In 1964, he decided to leave KU and help start a new engineering program in the Purdue extension program in Indianapolis, Ind. He packed his family into a remodeled school bus in which they lived the entire summer. Complete with bedding for eight, a working sink and stove and a port a potty, it was the predecessor of the motor homes of today. The family traveled around the Midwest, helping with the wheat harvest in McCracken, Kan., and socializing with family members.
    Design engineering called to M. Klee and in 1964 he changed careers from the teaching of engineering to being a chief engineer for J.I.Case in the Quad Cities. He moved his family to an historic neighborhood in Davenport, near the Mississippi River and began a five-year adventure in the new area. J.I.Case transferred him to Rockford, Ill., and later to Burlington, where he spent much of his time designing the Case Uniloader. During this time period he invented seven patents for the company. He and his family lived there for 17 years.
    His final move for J.I. Case was to Wichita, Kan., to complete work on the Uniloader. He lived there two years and continued to hunt for the perfect place to retire, which needed to include a lake view. He and his bride Cellie found the location they wanted at Council Grove Lake in 1987 and spent their free-time remodeling a small cabin into a larger home, which included spare space for family visitors. His grandchildren enjoyed many happy times swimming and fishing at the lake, pontoon boat rides and eating Grandpa’s chocolate chip cookies. He was fortunate to have 20 plus years at his beautiful lake.
    He is survived by his wife Cellie (currently in Glenwood) six children and 16 grandchildren.