Gene Kliewer

Upon graduation from high school in 1952 and wanting a job, he went to help his older sister, Willye, and brother-in-law, Bob Hinz. They were starting a dairy in Liberal, KS.

Gene spent four years helping build the dairy business with Bob and Willye, prior to being drafted into military service where he chose conscientious objector status in 1957. After completing basic training and medical training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX, he was sent to La Rochelle, France where he served at the Army base hospital/clinic for 17 months.

When his active duty ended, Gene returned to Liberal and found a job with Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Co. (PEPL). After working ten years of shift work in the gas compressor station, he was promoted to Clerk of the station at the Cimarron River Plant. He worked in this position for about five years until he moved to the Division office in Liberal. He clerked for some time at the division level but when needed, he filled in for the vacationing Liquid Petroleum Coordinator. He eventually took over this position in which he was responsible for the coordination of trucking companies which transported liquid petroleum from the gas wells for a 5-state area.

Shortly after he began this job with PEPL, he started courting Norma Megert of Balko, OK whom he had learned about while in the service through letters from another older sister, Esther. After a year’s courtship, Gene and Norma were married on April 15, 1960, and lived in Liberal, KS. This began an amazing union of almost 66 years. Norma came from a farming family, and this gave Gene a chance to get involved in what he loved, farming.

Gene and Norma added a son, Rodney, and a daughter, Cindy, to their union. Gene used his vacation from PEPL to harvest and plant crops and keep the farm in the black in lean years. The farm was an extended family operation at harvest with Norma’s sisters and families coming back for many years to assist in the operation. This time of work created close connections for this extended family.

Gene always had a deep faith in God and his commitment to the church and serving others were evident with his involvement at the churches he attended. He served as Deacon, led adult Sunday schools and sang in the choir. He and Norma also helped with the Sunshine Center, a daycare run for lower income families that was a joint venture of the Turpin Mennonite Church and the Calvary Mennonite Church in Liberal.

Gene and Norma moved from Liberal in 1985 to the family farm. He continued to work at PEPL until 1988 when he took an early retirement buyout from the company after 30 years of service.

Gene continued to farm until they decided to retire and move to Newton in 2011. They have lived in North Newton since, only recently moving to independent living, then health care at Kidron Bethel.

While retired from PEPL, he volunteered along with Norma at the Et Cetera shop in Liberal (where she had volunteered for 33 years) and later in Newton when they moved here.

Gene passed away peacefully on January 12, 2026, after an eighteen-month battle with cancer.

Gene was respected for his jovial and kind nature, deep love and care for his wife of 66 years, and devotion to both of his extended families. He was a great storyteller of events that happened and had a keen memory for all his family’s birthdates and important events. He always put others and charities first with his generosity. He loved the Lord and lived his days to follow Him and set an example for his family and those around him.

Gene is preceded in death by his parents; sister, Luella Kroeker; sister, Esther Penner; and brother, Ronnie Kliewer along with other extended family members.

He is survived by his wife, Norma Kliewer; son, Rodney (Amy) Kliewer; daughter, Cindy (Galen) Fast; granddaughter, Emily (Jordon) Regehr; grandson, Doug Kliewer; granddaughter, Elise Fast (Dylan Jantz); grandson, Evan Fast; three great grandsons, Hudson, Haydon, and Holden Regehr; sister, Willye Hinz; brother, Harvey Kliewer; sister, Ruby Hamm, and numerous other extended family members.

A memorial service will be held at Faith Mennonite Church in Newton, KS on February 14, 2026, 1:00 p.m.

Memorials can be made out to Mennonite Central Committee.