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Show V 8 The alley News, September 19, 2002 Magna TimeVMcst Sports Sports SorerocOSpity Football affected the w hole Klekas fcemly. None warning" gave them a Klekas There are some families that are wound deeply into die historical fabric that makes Magna what it is; a small town; a close knit group; hard working farmers and miners. The Klekas family have left their mark on "Our Town as deeply as any family I know. I would like to tell you, dear readers, about their legacy. About 1904 or 1905 John Louis Klekas came to Magna to work at Kennecott His was a proud heritage dating back to the Byzantine Empire. His wife, Wilma, came in 1906 from Austria. The father and mother believed in hard work. They started with 27 acres just north of 3500 South at 9200 West The property lay just north of die Kennecott Canal. There they raised hay, gram, a large family and lots of vegetables. Sixteen hour days were common place with one shift at the mill and one on the farm. Wilma, the mother, worked in the field like a man, she could do it all and was the family butcher. The Klekas family grew rapidly to a total of seven boys and one girl. The oldest boy was Louis Klekas, the first Cyprus graduate. Pirate class of 1937. He went on to play a little football at Utah State University. Lou helped his parents to discipline his siblings. Boxing was a big thing in the Klekas family and many an evening became a spamng match between some of the boys. The boxing ioughened them up for other sports that they all loved. Lous Cyprus class all went to fight in World War II. It was a sign of the times. Lous career took him to officers candidate school, the Neuremberg Trials and the Battle of the Bulge, with General George Patton. Lou finished up a full colonel in jympjwpjM i by Dale Simons of the boys would go to bed unless you two-minu- -- 1966 in Viet Nam. Thanks Lou. Lou had three legions of honor and assorted other combat medals. Lous brother Frank was m the Class of 1941 at Cyprus and went directly mto the Merchant Marine. He played some football at the University of Utah during the war years as an end. He also played some football at Westminster College. Frank Kleskas was best known in Utah sports as a coach at Judge Memorial High School, where he coached all sports for many years. Frank won two State football titles while at Judge and had many good teams m other sports. He later coached at Kearns where he won another football title in 1972. Mike Klekas, a smaller version of the Klekas athletic farm, excelled in basketball and baseball. Mike, Class if 1939, got out of Cyprus in time to participate with thousands of other Americans, as they invaded France on die beaches of Normandy, Thanks Mike. You may know that Mike married Betty Hefferman, who was also a Cyprus graduate. Irene Kleskas, the only girl in the family died of cancer at the age of 45. She left a family of four children. Gus Kleskas, class of 1945, played tackle on the only state championship football team that Cyprus ever had. Bill Couley coached the Pirates to a 28-2- 0 victory over Lehi in the fall of 1944. Gus went on to coach high school basketball at Bishop, Calif., for 32 years, where he won 22 league tides. When , , , Gus .retired, from coaching,. they named fee gym after him; always a tribute to an outstanding career. The next Klekas brother, Nick, was a team mate of mine in 1947. By now fee Pirates had a new coach, A1 Mercer, and Nick was a pulling guard on fee Pirate double wing attack. 1 admired Nicks play from fee sidelines Corps and doubled as sports editor for the school paper and the yearbook. His major acting roles was appearing in films wife Jane Wyman, Dick powell and Caesar Romero, Lee Strasburg was another of his acting friends. It seems very reasonable feat Harrys state name was Johnny Magna. Later years Harry found time to be a Korean War veteran and pick up a degree from Weber State in police science. He worked 20 years for the Salt Lake County Sheriffs office. The youngest Kleskas brother was Bill. Cyprus class of 1952. A middle linebacker and for fee pirates. His team lost m the state finals to . the mother (Wilma) who died in 1994 at age 95. Harry, fee family historian, played end for fee Pirates in where all fee sophomores stood during fee games. Nick was called upon to be fee lead blocker on Mercers power sweeps and cutback plays. Nick got mto fee was as a Maintenance mechanic for 5 Eagle fighters; one of fee great and most effective airplanes in fee big war. Nick earned his living as an electrical engineer. Harry Kleskas still lives in the old family home located at 8600 West and 2900 south. Its very appropriate that fee street is now named Buccaneer Drive. What else could you name a street feat produced seven Pirate athletes, three coaches, seven war veterans and 10 good community-minded citizens. Hats off to 1950 and later played at Westminster. He was always the jhespian. It was a big hoot in high school to watch him come ot stage to (to "The Claw. He would act out fee part where his hand would turn mto a claw and he would choke himself to death on stage. Harrys degree from Westminster College was in theater arts, he used his talents well by appearing in 32 movies, dining in night clubs and acting in fee senes Dragnet While in high school, Harry was a member of fee National Champion Drum and Bugle in r CL- - oim.Aw The season at RMR has been long and competitive, but champions have surfaced as the final pdintfc race of 2002 took place on Friday, Sept 13. Following are Fridays race results and the final standings including the new champions. The Big 0 Tires Street Legal Senes Champions will return to RMR on Saturday, Sept 28, for the Night of Fire Jet Car Show. The champions of each class will compete in the Race of Champions, where one winner will take home fee trophy. 2 T793 Jim Poyser 3 M767 Chris Hopper 4 962 Charles McDowell Results Fnday, Sept 13 1 169 Travis Staker 2 R732 John Pickering - i h LEAN "Family Pack"t GROUND OEEP V' 1 r" 1 HIGH SCHOOL Results - Fnday, Sept 13 1 878 Enk Rueckert 2 K7 12 Alex Gillespie 2002 Final Championship 1 878 Enk Rueckert 2 746A Todd Ashcroft 3 K712 Alex Gillespie TRUCK Results - Friday, Sept 13 Country Fresh cal. 12 Pack Cans Bone-i- n frozen JK. jv Western Family 1040 MrQt wadi, Layton IBM BMt moo toutti, LLC. 4?00 tout 3700 west, TaytortvMo tout itM, mi 7300 OMt II A5Ss.Tf",SSlK ooq V Weak 0300 ttowtti, Kaomo Ooutti 3700 Wmt, woat Jordon PfScss Effective: CBPTor.innn fi iri riFi W T HI f 4. FOR I a Rhodes "BIC" asoz. C&H 10 LB. r TEXAS & WHEAT nAn ivLX dJ FOR t4 t: V V BOUSLE ROLLS nccici UU it Ssnra K.t Crvrct 16at Great Grata 15a CranlxrnrWrflOMi cniKH 94oi Crap fctJ 'Kot tefe lr ISWot Bue&srry Bwiifcj 150Z.rn.iU Fin PMtfl r V FOR C J X Large "BAIGflG" r (S ROLL PACK cettonen 12 J PINEAPPLE Chunks Sliced jS Scott 12 f nr.iooienn qath tissue! GIOSLGO family A A' Crushed ROLL BOUGH CSSGJMl, ftm Liberty Cold 2002. ICE CREAM x fej for A Vi CALLON LURCH LIE A? Lt eJV FOR Meadow Cold r J "SEEDLESS" SKiM cmciiEU A Red Flame 1or2 r.lILCI cqciesphite western Family milk Products 1 BREASTS fjfe " 5 350 David EdgetT SPORT COMPACT Results - Friday, Sept 1 3 1 319 Rob Hauck 2 K712 Alex Gillespie 2002 Final Championship 1 P791 Karl Martin 2 494 Neal Parkin 3 374 Todd Kunkel 4 3 19 Rob Hauck 5 819 Dustin Peterson 2002 Final Championship 1K756 Charles Sturdevant 2 169 Travis Staker 3 125 Chris Carlson 4 351 Jeremy Bates 72 Scott Huntsman 5 HEAVY Results - Fnday, Sept 13 1 549 Gary Damron 2 356 Jon Albntton 2002 Final Chanipioaship 1 356 on Albritton T756 Tory Laws 171 Cody Hirsch 2002 Tmal Championship of c ni 1.71 Cody HtfSClr 2 P795 Dan Pratt 3 T756 Tory Laws 4 840 Brandon Bancroft 5 630 Jason Parker 1 2 " ; - Simons Says: Harry said, of all my brothers 1 like myself best Simons Says: At the Kleskas fconily dinner table. If someone threw a table scrap to the dog, hed have to signal for a fair catch or se eral of die boys would tackle the mutt before the scrap came down. Champs crowned m street legal races ID OOOO Millard. Bills career was in real estate and automobile sales. The Kleskas familys saga has spanned almost 100 years. They have contributed to America, Magna, Cyprus, sports and community. Our town heeds more families like fee Kleskas family. John and Wilma should be proud. y .W"!? SIMM Book of Hag ft J LBS Largs v HASS AVGSAB33 w? ;:"J r L POOR |