Harold H. Klave
4/15/45 – 10/16/16
He Only Takes The Best
God saw you getting tired,
And the cure was not to be;
So, He put His arms around you,
And whispered, “Come with me”
With tearful eyes we watched you suffer,
And saw you fade away;
Although we couldn’t bear to lose you
We could not ask you to stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
And hard working hands to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He only takes the best!
How does one find words…
How do we express the devastation, pain and sorrow?
The world has a lost a great man, husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, friend…
How do we find strength to move beyond our tears? To simply smile at a memory?
How are we able to laugh once more?
10/16/16: Life has forever changed at Twin Cedars. Our mind is the only thing that can hear his laughter now. The warmest smile and his kindest words. Encouragement, praise and heartfelt banter.
Countless lives he’s touched.
That laugh that could turn your worst day around.
How does life march on? Harold, we have beds to make. We have laundry to fold. We have lawns to cut and plants to water. Boats to bail and docks to paint. Countless pipes, water heaters and furnaces to fix.
How does one find words?
A beautiful autumn afternoon for his final time on earth, spent outside tinkering with machines. An ordinary day for an extraordinary life. A sudden passing…though we were blessed with one last beautiful moment.
“Hey it smells like breakfast in here!” Bacon sizzled on the stove top. 1:30 pm and we were finally ready to build our BLT’s for lunch. Peeking outside I see a father and son having their usual chat. Bright eyes and giant smile, the way he greets everyone. Today as I busied with our meal I felt a small smile reach my face, thinking how these teeny, tiny specks in time are what matters most.
Returning to the house he spots the girls on a break from cabin cleaning and just as always would never pass up a moment to communicate his approval. This day it went something like this, “oh boy Kylee I’m so proud of you! You girls are just fantastic, what a great job you’re doing!” A fast goodbye that we never knew would be our last. A quick visit, a small stop-by drive thru that we’ll forever be grateful for.
That one last beautiful moment…
But this is how it always was with him. Whether an extended get together or brief hello, because perhaps he always knew that we just never know when…we never know how…we just never know…
We’ve learned something so valuable from this amazing man…Always part with your warmest words even on your darkest day. Deliver the best of your love from the deepest depths of your heart.
Someday we will smile upon a sweet memory but today our tears flow like the longest rivers through endless valleys.
As our family morns we appreciate your thoughts and prayers. We graciously ask for you to allow our family to be together but please know we will be in touch and always here at the Twin Cedars Resort.
10/23/16 update:
Due to the overwhelming amount of people that are affected by the passing of Harold we have changed the location of the service and some of the times.
Visitation: Saturday November 5, 2016 12 noon – 1:30 pm at Dodson Funeral Home St. Ignace, MI
Service: Saturday November 5, 2016 2:00 pm at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church St. Ignace, MI
Meal following at the Trout Lake Township Hall 4:00 pm
We are completely humbled by all your support, prayers and thoughts. On behalf of our family I would like to express how every single written word of care and acknowledgment, whether by comment on Facebook, our website, phone call or text and cards of sympathy, means to us. We are so deeply thankful for each and every one of you…we have read every word and appreciate all of them more than you could ever know. We’ve had Judy here also. To say she was moved would be an absolute understatement, but I’m not quite sure how to put how she feels into words.
As many of you know Harold was never technologically inclined but I can still hear him saying, “Meghan and Bobby, you gotta get on that w w dot com!”
I can only imagine what he thinks of all this communication going on about him on the world wide web. But I can tell you this, he’s likely getting a kick out of the fact that HE is the single most popular post we’ve ever written about.
Our most recent phone conversation:
Harold: “Hey Meghan, I’m sending in this paperwork with Deb’s help and we have to use an email.”
Me: “Ok, sure! Are you ready?”
Harold: “Yep”
Me: “m k l a v e dot r n at”
Harold: “Wait…at like A T?
Me: “No. At, like the @ symbol.”
Harold: “At symbol? What the heck is that?”
Then I hear Judy in the background: “Oh I know what that is!”
These silly little conversations will be missed greatly. I ache for the day when Bob reaches for the phone to call him…because he did, often. Hold on to every moment…
Love, The Klaves’
Harold was my brother in every way. We first me in 1972. Forty-four years is not long enough to know such a special man. I will deeply miss Harold. I know he is enjoying his heavenly reward and I will be seeing him again someday. God Bless you, buddy!
This a a beautiful memorial for a truly wonderful man. Harold was one of the first friends Ralph made in Trout Lake when he’d go to the resort to buy bait. Harold would take the time to talk and tell him where to try to fish. Always had time for a friend. Our deepest sympathy to Judy and all of Harold’s family and friends. He will be missed. God bless you Harold and rest in peace
Dear Judy, Lisa, Vanessa and Bob and all your familys. Many years have passed but my memories of my days in trout lake still are fresh in my mind. So many happy times spent with you all. I will never forget the kindness and friendship the Klave family gave to me. Harold saved so many times at the motel the man could do everthing.How does someone say thank you and good by after all these years? All i can tell you memories of you all and to one very special man will never be forgotten. I will see you all November 5. Sincerely, Jim Scoon
Okay, I’m not very good at this electrickery stuff … kind of like Harold … but no one knew Harold like I knew Harold. He was one of my best friends growing up … he lived right across the street from me … we use to get into all kinds of mischief together … I was going to say trouble, but it was not really trouble, it was just clean honest fun. I remember the time that we found an old World War II gas mask in his garage … so of course, we put it on and roamed around after dark and scared the daylights out of our neighbors. Then there was the time that we put a string on a butter knife and placed it between the asbestos shingles on the Wardells’ house … then we would hide in the bushes and twang that string … what a penetrating noise that must have made! What about the time we tyed two large coffee cans together with a string … filled the cans with water and then stretched the string across the sidewalk at night … hiding and waiting for unsuspecting walkers to trip the booboo trap and douse their shoes. Oh, the stories I could tell … Harold and I would laugh until we had tears in our eyes every time we reminisced about the old days. Now, do not get me wrong … do not think for one moment we never got caught or punished … we got our butts blistered more than once. Then there were the times Harold and Hermie would get into a fight (both of the were a lot bigger than me) and in an effort to stop the confrontation, I would get between them … then Eva (Harold’s mom) would come running out of the house and smack Harold, then smack Hermie, then she would smack me … “just for the hell of it! ” Harold and I use to walk to and from school every day … until that darn Judy came along … boy, was I jealous of her … but I learn to love them both because I could see how happy they were together … I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here … I’ll miss you Harold … love you Judy!
Harold, I can’t believe you’re gone I hope you and grandpa Post have a good time in heaven. We miss you a lot. Please be safe and watch over us. love, Dj green
A beautiful tribute to a great friend and wonderful up north neighbor who will be truly missed.
Both Elaine and I loved Harold. We will miss him.
The Cazabon’s will miss Harold. The memories will never be forgotten. It is so hard to believe he is gone. Love to you Judy and family from Tom, Donna, Ken, Karen, Laura, and especially Emily who held a special place in Harold’s heart. We will meet again Harold, promise.
I am so sorry for your loss. The Klave family was a great part of my life. We had four generations at your resort over the years. Bruno Brzeg, Jerry Brzeg, Victor Brzeg (myself), and my two sons Bryan and Jason Brzeg. I have had so much fun with Harold and Judy when I was a kid fishing, feeding the ducks, and enjoying the adventures of Frenchmans Lake every year for so long. I did not know of Heralds passing and I am devastated to know of this. He will always be in my heart and memory as being one of those people I would like to be. We were there with same week as the Cazabons for many years and always had a great time…..see you in heaven my friend.
Love
Victor, Deanna, Bryan, and Jason Brzeg
OMG, I am so sorry for you and your family loss. I too was in the hospital durning the time of your loss and everything associated with his death. I will briefly said, it was very bad for me. I fail of a roof (21ft high). It was a long-long road, but I am getting better. Will never be 100% again.
I feel you and your family is a close netted family. Stay strong, like you said, “God wanted one of the best, and that’s who he got, the best!”