Clifford Arthur Komppa

Clifford Arthur Komppa, age 81, passed away suddenly at his home on Friday, August 28, 2015. Cliff was the third son of 13 children (eight boys and five girls) born to Nestor and Senia Komppa, pioneers in Red Eye Township. He was born at home on February 18, 1934, in the same house where his father Nestor was born in 1901, on the land that his grandparents Antti and Wilhemeena Komppa homesteaded in the 1890's. The Komppa home place in Red Eye Township was Cliff's home from birth to death. Cliff was confirmed to the Christian faith at Menahga Independent Apostolic Lutheran Church. He attended school through the eighth grade at country school District 45 and attended high school into the tenth grade at Sebeka Public School. At the age of 15 he began working in the potato fields at Sabin, Minnesota. From 1950 to 1964, he worked in Hunter, North Dakota, for spring field work and autumn harvests, returning home between seasons to work in the woods logging and doing any other work that became available. He also spent some time working in Nyhart, Montana. In 1965, Cliff started working at Homecrest Industries in Wadena as a welder, as well as farming at home. He retired in 1997 after 32 years of service. He was a member of Teamster Local 346. In his retirement, Cliff enjoyed hunting, gardening, maintaining the Red Eye Baseball field, Saturday night saunas and spending time with his family and friends. Cliff was one of the original players on the Red Eye baseball team, a local country league started by the Komppa and Makela neighborhood boys. The love of baseball remained with him throughout his lifetime. Cliff was also a member of the Sebeka Bachelor Club, and was one of several members who remained bachelors throughout their lifetimes. Cliff was preceded in death by his parents, Nestor and Senia Komppa; three brothers, Gene, Andrew and Arve; three sisters, Florence Komppa, Annie Komppa and Hazel Schmitz; five nephews, Michael Levander, Chuck Komppa, Jake Anderson, Craig Anderson, and Travis Friesner; brother-in-law Calvin Carpenter; and sister-in-law Shirley Komppa. He is survived by four brothers: Donald (Jane) Komppa of Sebeka, Fred (Evelyn) Komppa of Kinney, Larry (Rebecca) Komppa of Sebeka and Gary Komppa of Colorado City, Texas; brother-in-law Jack Schmitz of Pengilly; two sisters, Ruth Carpenter of Menahga, and Linda (Bruce) Levander of Gilbert; sister-in-law Ruth Komppa of New York Mills; two aunts, Sylvia Ahlgren of Wadena and Esther Burkman of Menahga; many nephews and nieces; other relatives and friends too numerous to mention. Visitation will be held Thursday, September 3, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Wevley Funeral Chapel in Sebeka, with a prayer service at 6:00 p.m. conducted by Pastor Rachel Stout of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church of Sebeka. Family and friends are also invited to the graveside service and burial for Cliff at Red Eye Cemetery on Friday, September 4, at 11:00 a.m. Honorary pallbearers are all of his nieces and nephews. Active casketbearers include Tom Komppa, Rodney Carpenter, Dean Carpenter, Eric Komppa, Frank Komppa, Daniel Komppa, Dana Komppa, Darrell Schmitz, Doug Schmitz, Kevin Komppa and Scott Levander.