Edward Francis Klimek

Loving husband, father, and coolest dude, Edward Francis Klimek, was set free from this world on August 28, 2022 at his home in Mountain Iron, Minn., surrounded by his wife and daughters. Ed was born on July 16, 1952 to Elwin and Marvel (Patzoldt) Klimek in Hibbing, Minn. He was born the third of four children. He graduated from JFK High School in Babbitt, Minn. in 1970. He spent his youth on the football field and in the hockey rink, which is how he ended up with his golden tooth. Ed met his babe of a wife, Lynda Kachmarzinski, in high school, and they married at St. Pius Catholic Church on July 21, 1973. They drove off into the sunset in a 1964 Corvette that he painted in time to celebrate their nuptials. They moved first to Mountain Iron, then settled in Embarrass to raise their family. Ed was a proud U.S. Steel employee from 1972 until his retirement in 2006. He served as a surveyor, railroad worker, and finished his career as a millwright. Ed and Lynda welcomed two daughters, Jennifer in 1981 and Teresa in 1985. He taught them how to be good neighbors and to love well. Ed was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2004 after seven years of symptoms. While Parkinson’s ended up being the largest battle of his life, this was not his defining trait. Ed loved stock car racing, both dirt track and NASCAR, fishing, hunting, and adventuring with his family. He is most proud of his beautiful family, being a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He enjoyed the challenge of small business ownership, having business ventures with his wife and parents. He was proud to have learned skills of logging with his father, timber framing which he learned at North House Folk School, and deconstructing and reconstructing historic log buildings. He at least attempted to pass along this skill to his daughters, but they only enjoyed the deconstruction. He obtained his private pilot’s license and shared that hobby and skill with his family and guests throughout the years. He had many memories of Canadian fishing trips and looked forward to hunting trips with his friends and family. He shared a love of traveling and adventures, even into his later years, taking his grandchildren to Alaska and on a helicopter ride over Glacier National Park. Ed romanced his wife over their 49 years of marriage with many getaways and buying flowers regularly, and sometimes a car. He was a proud supporter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Minnesota Street Rod Association, and National Hot Rod Association. He was a past board member of the United Steelworkers Credit Union and past president of the Hibbing Raceway. He selflessly dedicated himself to his family, unceasingly setting the example of generosity, the value of good character, the importance of love and forgiveness, graciousness without expectation, and, of course, how to be the coolest dude.
He is survived by his wife, Lynda; his two daughters, Jennifer (Matthew Clark) Klimek, Teresa Appelwick; his two grandchildren, Hunter and Isabelle; his sister, Meylonie (Robert) Schatz, brother Louie; sister-in-law Betty Klimek; brothers-in-law Rusty (Lorraine) Seelen, Willy (Rose) Seelen, Jim (Pam) Kachmarzinski, Donald (Janine) Kachmarzinski; many niblings and great-niblings, and many beloved cousins.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Elwin and Marvel; his brother Darren; his in-laws, Lawrence and Lena Kachmarzinksi; sister-in-law Janice Kerr; brother-in-law Duncan Kerr, and all of his piblings.
The Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 2, 2022 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Virginia. Reverend Father Brandon Moravitz, celebrant. A gathering time for family and friends will begin one prior to the Mass at the Church.
Family services provided by Bauman-Cron, A Bauman Family Funeral Home in Virginia. To share condolences online, please see: www.baumanfuneralhome.com.