Edward John Klain, 90

Edward John Klain, 90, was born on Sept. 28, 1934, to Ferdinand and Marie Klain, the fifth of eight children on a 900-acre farm near Turtle Lake, North Dakota. The family harvested wheat, barley and flax while caring for 35 head of cattle. As a youngster he operated tractors and road a horse, Topsy, to school.

Eager to see the world, Eddie joined the Navy in December 1952 during the Korean War completing training at Great Lakes Naval Base in Chicago where he also sang in the boot camp choir. He was assigned to the aircraft carrier, the USS Bennington, as a mechanic stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Sadly, he was aboard the Bennington when a massive explosion occurred from a catapult fire, killing and injuring a few hundred fellow seamen. Afterward, the Bennington dry-docked in New York for repairs while Eddie returned to Chicago, completing a 15-week engineer training program.

Back at sea, the Bennington patrolled the Mediterranean, visiting 18 ports of call. He was also deployed in Saudi Arabia for six months, serving on the USS Duxbury Bay as an engineman. His final post was on the USS Forrestal, the world's first nuclear super carrier, and 10 days later was honorably discharged on Oct. 20, 1956.

He moved back to North Dakota in January 1957, where he met the love of his life, Carol Varty, a schoolteacher. Smitten from the start, Eddie and Carol were married in Douglas, North Dakota, on June 16 that year. 

They owned a bar in Mercer, North Dakota for a year, farmed a few years near Turtle Lake and Harlem, Montana, lived on a ranch outside Great Falls, where their family grew; December 1962 with an early Christmas gift, Gina; on Father's Day June 1964, Rhonda; and instead of fishing Labor Day weekend of 1968, Kevin. In 1969, the family moved to Kalispell, where Eddie worked at Manion's as an auto mechanic. In 1974, Eddie became part-owner of Evergreen Welding and Truck Repai,r specializing in repairing logging trucks and even had occasion to work on Glacier Park's unique red Jammer Cars. The family soon moved to Evergreen in 1978, and he retired from Evergreen Welding and Truck Repair in 1998. 

Never shy, Eddie met lots of people through work and his social life, making many lifelong friends whether over a fishing pole, bowling, playing pool, or a game of cribbage. He was an active member of the Moose Lodge No. 1922 from 1974 to 2025, the Eagles from 1972 to 1995, and the American Legion from 2010 to 2025. He was the Moose Lodge Governor from '84 to '85 and earned the honor of Montana Moose of the Year in 1995. 

Once retired, Eddie and Carol became Snowbirds, enjoying summers in Kalispell and winters in Yuma, Arizona. Allowing them to visit their children and grandchildren in Southern California. In Yuma, along with many of their longtime Montana friends, they avidly engaged in Adobe Village's social activities. Ever busy, Eddie organized a small group of guys to pick grapefruit from the neighborhood for folks no longer able to care for their trees, sharing them with "the village" and food bank.

He is survived by his daughters, Gina (Morse) Olsen of Poway, California, Rhonda (Kent) Harper of Fullerton, California, and favorite son, Kevin of Huntington Beach, California; grandsons John (Heather) Olsen of Lemon Grove, California, Brian (Logan) Olsen of Dallas, and great-granddaughters, Chloe, Payton and Dylann.

Eddie was preceded in death by his parents, six brothers and sisters, infant son, Jeffrey, and his lovely wife, Carol.

Join us in celebrating Eddie's life and legacy at Calvary Lutheran Church on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m., followed by a luncheon at the Moose Lodge from 2-6 p.m. Internment will be in Turtle Lake.