Obituary of Peter G. Klem

Klem, Peter G. Spring Creek, NV: Suddenly, Sunday, March 25, 2012 at the age of 53. Predeceased by his mother Virginia and his brother John. Beloved husband, father and teacher, Peter is survived by his wife Beverly, was an important guardian and role model to his grandchildren, Lehlah and Sollera Keller, stepsons, Andrew (Morgan), Brandon and Aaron Keller, additional grandchildren, Mackenzie and Brisen Keller, father, Theodore, sisters Sandy(Bill)Prince, Michelle Chapman and Renee(Charles)LaRocca, brothers, Paul(Laurie), Theodore and Anthony Klem, uncle, Ray Klem, sister-in-law, Maureen Klem and numerous nieces and nephews. Born Sept. 11, 1958, the sixth of eight children, Peter grew up in Irondequoit on the same plot of land the Klem family had been living on since 1885, surrounded by a large and loving extended family. Peter gained an interest in history from an early age, digging through old trunks in the attic, finding military uniforms and old photographs, and bugging his elders with incessant questions. His father, Theodore, ran a small "mom and pop" grocery store, Klem's Drive-In Dairy. Peter got a late start on his formal education, having chosen to follow in his father's footsteps and working in the family store right out of high school in 1976. When the store burned to the ground in 1983, he was forced to change course. After a string of dead end jobs, he enrolled in college in 1986 to pursue his longtime interest in history. Peter earned a B.A. degree (1990) in History from Nazareth College, Pittsford, New York, and a M.A. (1993) and Ph.D. (2002) in American History from the State University of New York, Buffalo. In 2003, Peter became a Social Science Professor teaching history at Great Basin College in Elko, NV., where he enjoyed great students and warm friends. In Elko, he met and married in 2006 his loving wife Beverly, also a teacher and a recent transplant to the area. A charismatic teacher and entertainer, Peter enjoyed witty repartee with students, friends, and family and was the life of many parties. Peter was a member of the GBC Foundation, Ruby Mountain Symphony Board, American Historical Association (AHA), Organization of American Historians (OAH), and Society for Historians of the Early American Republic (SHEAR). His family will receive friends Sunday 2:00 - 5:00 PM at the funeral home (570 Kings Hwy South). Friends are invited to meet the family Monday 11:00am at Blessed Kateri at St. Thomas the Apostle Church for his funeral mass. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Donations can be made to the Peter Klem Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 2056, Elko, NV 89803.