Roland F. Kunze
Roland Ferdinand Kunze, age 96 of Cloquet, MN died Monday, June 8, 2020 while under Hospice care. He was born July 25, 1923 in Cloquet to Carl and Rose (Roy) Kunze.
Roland attended school at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Cloquet High School, graduating in 1941. He joined the US Army Air Corp. and served stateside during the war as a mechanic. After his discharge in 1945, he joined his brother, Ted and together they opened a supper club in Wadena. It was there that he met his wife, Iris Laugen. They married in 1947 and together they had four children. They moved back to Cloquet where he resided in the home they built together until his death. He worked for the Wood Conversion Company when starting his family, and then worked for the Cloquet School District in maintenance until his 1981 retirement. He also drove school bus for 20 years and did locksmithing through Wood Service.
Roland was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Iris in 1990; his second wife, Edith Kerr in 2001 after five years together; brother, Sylvester; daughter, Kathleen; and grandson, Samuel. He is survived by his children, Michael (Joan) Kunze of Cloquet, Mary (Glen) Lundberg of Kennedy, MN, and Barbara (Randy) Reed of Kennewick, WA; sister-in-law, Dorothy Roes of Moorhead; nine grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. A reader all his life, Roland made good use of the Cloquet Public Library. Should friends desire, memorials may be given to the Library at 320 14th St., Cloquet, MN 55720 or to the Duluth Public Television at WDSE-WRPT, 632 Niagara Court, Duluth, MN 55811.
Services will be held Monday, June 22, 2020 at Nelson Funeral Care with a visitation from 12:00 noon until the 1:00 p.m. memorial service. Private family committal will be held in the Minnesota State Veteranβs Cemetery in Duluth with Military Honors presented. To leave an online condolence, visit the guest book at www.nelsonfuneralcare.net.