Claus Weidner Obituary

Claus Weidner died April 5, 2017, at age 80 in the Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital in Burlington, CO, following a car accident. He was born to Kurt and Hertha Weidner in Hamburg, Germany, on April 9, 1936.

A stop during a bus trip across the U.S. in 1963 in Ames, IA, led to an offer to start an Export Dept. at Hach Chemical Company there for Claus. Hach is where he met his future wife, Janet Willis Weidner, in 1967. They were married at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA, in September of 1968.

Claus' home was Hamburg, Germany, during WW II. Following college, his career took him around the world in international marketing for 36 years. Besides Hamburg, Claus lived in Bogota, Colombia; Ames, IA; Scotts Valley, CA; Fort Collins and Colorado Springs, CO. He specialized in the water treatment industry. He was fluent in four languages and used them in his career. After moving back to Colorado Springs in 2001, he was employed by the Small Business Development Center at UCCS as a counselor for those wishing to establish export businesses. Following retirement he volunteered for SCORE and also attended World Affairs Council meetings and programs. Jazz was a life-long passion to both him and Janet. They have enjoyed participating in jazz clubs, parties, and concerts for many years.

Claus was proud when Annette, his daughter, followed his lead and entered the business world, also. Preceding him in death were his parents. Survivors in the Weidner family in Germany include his sister, Marga Weidner Telle, brother-in-law, Volker Telle, of Kronberg, Germany; nephew Philippe Telle and his family of Toulouse, France; and nephew Henrik Telle of Madrid, Spain, and his family. Survivors in the Willis family (Janet's) include Janet Weidner, his wife, of Colorado Springs; Annette Weidner Dennison, his daughter; son-in-law Jim Dennison; grandchildren Audrey and Grant Dennison, of San Diego, CA; and many in the Willis family into which he married: brothers-in-law Keith Willis; Dale Willis; Dean (& Beth) Willis; and Wayne (& JoAnn) Willis as well as Greg Patton. Many nieces and nephews will also mourn the loss of their uncle.

A memorial service will be held for Claus at the Broadmoor Community Church, 315 Lake Ave., in Colorado Springs at 2:00 PM on Thurs., July 27, and a reception will follow (TBA). Burial will take place in the Kirwin Cemetery, Kirwin, KS at 2:00 PM on Sat., July 29.

Memorial gifts may be sent to either of Claus' and Janet's favorite P.E.O. projects: Cottey College Class of 1967 Scholarship Fund or the Colorado P.E.O. Chapter House.