Cletus Pladsen

Cletus S. Pladsen, 73, of Waukon died Monday, May 26, 2014 at Winneshiek County Memorial Hospital in Decorah. Funeral services were held Friday, May 30 at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waterville, with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating. Burial with military honors was at the church cemetery.
Cletus S. Pladsen was born October 2, 1940 at his parents’ home in rural Waterville, he was the son of Wallace and Ruby (Moen) Pladsen. He graduated from Waukon High School and from 1960-1966 he served in the National Guard. July 14, 1963, Cletus married Ruth Ann Gavle at Big Canoe Lutheran Church in Decorah.
Cletus made his career in the meat industry. For 27 years, he was a meat cutter for Ozzie Quandahl at the Red Owl (later the Waukon Food Ranch). From 1988 until he retired in 2013, Cletus worked at Agriprocessors in Postville as a meat cutter, trainer, and as the head of security. He also spent his life living and working on his family’s farm.
He was a 4-H leader for the West Ridge Riders and also taught Sunday school at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon. Cletus loved woodworking and mowing his yard. He loved John Deere tractors and enjoyed taking his family on yearly tractor and wagon rides around the Patterson Creek area. Cletus also took trips around the country on motorcycles with his brothers and sons. Mostly, he loved his family very much.
Cletus is survived by his wife, Ruth Ann of Waukon; five children, Faye (Martin) Halverson of Lansing, Dawn (Russ Breazeale) Motis of Cedar Rapids, Jeff (Julie) Pladsen of Shellsburg, Kim (John) Hagemann of Cedar Rapids and Brent Pladsen of Cedar Rapids; 11 grandchildren, Jake (Amber), Matt and Ethan Halverson, Lauren Motis, Danisha, Faith, Alex and Jesse Pladsen, and Aubrey, Paige and Nichole Hagemann; four brothers, Roger (Sandy) of Waterville, Gary (Lorrie) of Waukon, David (Mary Ann) of Vinton and Kenneth (Yvonne) of Virginia Beach, WV; a sister, Rosie (Ben) Caldwell of Newton; a sister-in-law, Tess Pladsen of Waukon; three brothers-in-law, Vernon (Sandy) Gavle of Decorah, Burton (Emma Thompson) Gavle of Decorah and Ronald (Bev) Gavle of Waukon; and his dogs, Sam, Charlie and Brutus (deceased).
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Arlyn Pladsen; two grandchildren, Joseph and Jacqueline Pladsen; a brother-in-law, David (Norma) Gavle; and a sister-in-law, Kathryn Gavle.
Honorary casketbearers were Tom Baxter, Pat Curtin, Herb Dehli, Earl Haas, Alan Johnson, Kirk Johnson, Nicholas "Nick" King, Corey Martie, Al Quandahl, Ozzie Quandahl, Shawn Rodenberg and Laura Roney. Casketbearers were Cletus’s grandchildren.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.