Donald A. "Don" Klavohn

Donald A. “Don” Klavohn, 95, a longtime Geneseo businessman and civic leader, passed away on Monday, November 26, 2018, at the Avonlea Cottage Nursing Home in Milan, IL. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 5, at First Congregational Church in Geneseo. Reverend Bruce Bergthold will officiate. Visitation will be held from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 5^th, at the church, one hour prior to the funeral service. Cremation rites will be accorded following the services and a private inurnment will take place at Oakwood Cemetery. Memorials may be left to the Don Klavohn Memorial Fund, and will be dispersed to several Geneseo Organizations for the benefit of the City of Geneseo. Vandemore Funeral Home & Crematory, Geneseo, is assisting the family with these arrangements.

Don was born on July 14, 1923, the son of Charles and Hilda (Swanson) Klavohn, in Geneseo, IL. He graduated from Geneseo High School with the class of 1940. Don married Suzanne A. “Zanne” Hanford on September 7, 1945, in Geneseo. Zanne preceded him in death in 2002. Don is the founder of the former Klavohn Furniture Store, which he owned and operated in downtown Geneseo for 56 years. The store was a well-known fixture of the city for many years. One of Don’s objectives was to make Geneseo an attractive place to live, own a home, and raise a family. He was proud to have an influential role in the development of the ‘Off Street Parking Project’ in downtown Geneseo. In his opinion, “the downtown business district leaves a lasting impression of the quality of the community.” Don was extremely proud to be a businessman in Geneseo, the city he loved, and it was his wish that the pride in the development and tradition of Geneseo be continued for many years to come.

Don was a member of the Kiwanis Club, where he served as a past president, as well as the Geneseo Country Club, Stewart Lodge #92, AF & AM, Geneseo Moose Lodge, and was a longtime member of the First Congregational Church. Don was also an active member, and longtime supporter, of the Geneseo Chamber and the Victorian Walk. In true businessman fashion, Don loved to stay up to date on the investment markets. He was an avid golfer and loved to sing. He was a member of the church choir and the Four Roses Quartet group.

Those left to cherish his memory include his daughter, Janet Klavohn, of Geneseo, and several nieces and nephews. Don was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Hilda, his wife, Zanne, and two brothers, Richard “Dick" Klavohn, and Wilbur “Web” Klavohn.