Ag leader passes away in Palmer

Leslie Joe "Buzz" Klebesadel, 83 and an agricultural leader in Alaska, died Dec. 30, 2011.

He was born Aug. 18, 1928, on a dairy farm in Wisconsin.

In 1949 when he was 20, Klebesadel first came to the Territory of Alaska after accepting an invitation from his uncle, Harlow Hodgson, to work at Palmer's USDA Agricultural Experiment Station. Having then left Alaska to enroll at the University of Wisconsin Madison, he came back for the summer of 1953, then went on to earn his doctorate from UW in 1957 with honors.

While attending UW, Leslie met his future wife, Mary Jane Kleinheinz, after being seated alphabetically next to her in a physics class. They married Jan. 22, 1955, and due to his growing love for Alaska, he convinced Mary Jane to move to Alaska with him in 1957, suggesting it was just for two years - three years tops.

They settled in the Matanuska Valley and lived there the rest of his life, raising five children at their hilltop home near Palmer. He dedicated his career to expanding the world's knowledge of adapting forage crops to northern latitudes, for both individual and global benefit.

Klebesadel served as the first director of Palmer Community College and later taught courses there after it became Matanuska-Susitna College. He authored more than 90 scientific publications and co-authored another 20 more. He retired in 1987 as University of Alaska Professor Emeritus following 30 years of research on forage crop management, adaptation to northern climates and plant physiology with the university and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

From an early age, he enjoyed illustrating. With an aspiration to become a professional cartoonist, he worked to refine his illustrating and writing abilities. He had always been intrigued by how striking the map of the state of Alaska resembled the side view of a man's face. From that, the character "Old Al Aska" was conceived; a Sourdough-styled character epitomizing and giving tribute to that group of "old timers" and pioneers of early Alaska. An "Old Al Aska" cartoon and poetic-story were published weekly in the early Frontiersman newspaper editions for several years during the 1960s. Those cartoon-stories eventually were compiled in books, "Observations on This ‘n' That by Old Al Aska" and "The Sourdough Sage and Bard of the Boondocks." In recent years, he penned two more comedic-themed books.

Klebesadel also felt that Alaska should celebrate an event exemplifying the long days and perpetual sunlight Alaskans get to enjoy. As such, he and some associates created the Mid-Summer Festival in 1971. The theme he created to celebrate the event was the story of "Grotto-Lunkers," semi-mythical creatures awakened annually on the longest day only to congregate in Palmer before returning to slumber.

Klebesadel loved Alaska, which can be best shown by borrowing a few lines from a poem in his Old Al Aska book titled "Thanksgiving:"

We're thankful now fer folks whose vision laid this land's foundations,
Whose sacrifices built it to the finest of the nations,
There's so much that we're thankful fer - if all the things were told,
By the time I finished half the list, my dinner'd sure be cold!
So, briefly, thanks fer Pilgrims long ago an' far away,
An' thanks fer this here moose roast a steaming here today,
An' thanks fer all the care Ya give, whether or not we ask Ya,
An' last of all, but best of all, thank Ya fer ALASKA!

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mary Jane; and all their children, their spouses and grandchildren, Lani, Dan (Janet, Amy and Shauna), Jim (Lindell, Hannah and Emma), Bill (Lucy, Jennifer and Danielle) and Tom (Dylan, Morgan and Rayanne).

Anyone desiring to contribute is encouraged to make a donation to a charity of choice. He would appreciate knowing that others "down the trail" would be able to benefit in some way by his life's impact on others.

A memorial service is at 4 p.m., Jan. 5 at United Protestant Church in Palmer, 713 S. Denali St.

SNRAS Dean and AFES Director Carol Lewis said Les Klebesadel will be missed by all who knew him at the school and farm. "His work on forage crops in Alaska helped improve livestock production through better pasture conditions and new varieties," she said.