Carl Burton Cloessner was born August 21, 1941, in Port Arthur, Texas. Before starting elementary school, his family moved to Jonesville, LA and he lived there through High School, graduating from Block High School in 1959. Following graduation, Carl moved to Monroe to attend Northeast Louisiana State College (NLSC). It was during this time he began to call Monroe home. As an active member of many organizations involving his alma mater, there is no doubt he was always an Indian at heart, but he still supported the Warhawks. On November 22, 1963, after sitting out the fall semester at college, he received a notice from Uncle Sam that his number had come up. He attended Basic Training at Fort Polk and the remainder of his time at Fort Belvoir in Virginia where he met his first wife and mother of his children, Pamela Echols. Following his Honorable Discharge from the Army, he returned to Monroe, where he was able to complete his degree in Construction. He was one of three people who graduated in the first class with this degree from NLSC. He was an avid supporter of the Construction Program and enjoyed his time as a part-time Instructor in the school. As a result of his dedication and commitment to the industry and program, earlier this year, he was recognized as the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year for the School of Construction.He went to work in the construction industry in August of 1968 and retired from full-time work in 2011. With over 40 years in business, he maintained many great relationships and even after retirement, was routinely asked to assist someone with a project. During his career, Carl worked in most states around the south and worked on some of the largest projects in our area at the time. He also served on the National Board for the American Institute of Constructors and was area President for the Northeast Louisiana Associated General Contractors. His calm demeanor was well-known and something he maintained throughout his life, sometimes to his detriment; yet, was a trusting person who always noticed the best in people. Following his retirement, he continued to stay active by consulting with insurance companies on claims and working as an insurance adjuster - something he enjoyed. During this time, he was able to work in New York, Indiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida as well as working remotely from home reviewing estimates until the end of 2022, when his health began to fail.Carl was proud of his involvement in the Masonic Lodge. He was extremely proud of his role as Past Master of J.C. Stewart Lodge in West Monroe. In 2006, Carl married Kaye Turnage Baber in West Monroe. They had been longtime friends and following the death of Kaye's husband, they decided to be married. The family welcomed Kaye wholeheartedly. They lived for a few years in West Monroe, then moved to Winnsboro to be close to Carl's son, Jimmy, and his family. They were able to travel while they were healthy and enjoyed being together. They enjoyed sitting on the back porch keeping up with the comings and goings of their grandchildren next door and going on many trips with Cheryl and her family. It is apparent that God brought them to each other at a time when they both needed a partner. Carl is survived by his loving wife, Kaye Turnage Cloessner, his daughter, Cheryl Cloessner Row and husband John of Addison, Texas, and his son, Jimmy Cloessner and wife Kristi of Winnsboro. Carl has five grandchildren of which he was extremely proud. They are Kemper Cloessner, Cabe Cloessner, Alexandra Row, Cason Cloessner, and Kellyn Cloessner. He was most recently focused on Cason and Alex heading to LSU in the fall and was excited they would begin college together. He is also survived by his brother, Martin Eldridge Cloessner, Jr (Eldridge) of Jonesville along with his children Sharon Trisler, Paul Cloessner, Dan Cloessner, and Mike Cloessner whom he loved like his own. Being almost 12 years younger than Eldridge, Carl spent much of his youth with him and his wife, Frozine, after they were married. He spoke Eldridge's name with profound respect and always had a smile and kiss on the cheek for Frozine. They were more than just family. Carl was born to Martin Eldridge Cloessner, Sr (Martin) and Zella Leo Collins Cloessner as the youngest of six boys. His parents both had large families and many stories have been told of times spent with their cousins and their families. Carl enjoyed talking about 'old times' with family. There was always a story to tell, especially when family was near. Most of his family called him by both names, Carl Burton, and that continues to this day.Church was an important part of life for Carl, and he made sure it was with his family. In whatever church he attended, he made certain to make himself available. He sang in the choir, served on building committees, served as a deacon, and worked sound. In all of this, he was first certain his family was involved. In later years, Carl was an active member of Life Church of Winnsboro, where he and Kaye made their home church. He exemplified the scripture in Joshua 24:15, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' Carl was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in April of 2023. After over 81 years of doing exactly what he wanted, this was something he was not expecting. He continued to work on his word puzzles and watch old western movies. He was never one to want anyone to feel badly for him, so if you asked him how he was doing, he always said, 'I'm good' - never once complaining about his situation. He considered every day a blessing and lived his life in this manner. Carl would not want notoriety or special attention - that was not his nature. He would not want anyone to sing his praises. He would only want someone to say he made the world a better place. In all his days and with all the things he did - we know he accomplished that. Funeral services will be held at Life Church of Winnsboro, 2330 Highway 425, Winnsboro, LA on Saturday, June 8th with visitation beginning at 12 and the service following at 2. Honoring Carl as Pall Bearers will be Grandsons, Kemper, Cabe, and Cason Cloessner, son-in-law, John Row, and nephews Paul Cloessner and Michael Cloessner.Memorials may be placed with Life Church of Winnsboro, P.O. Box 34, Winnsboro, LA 71295. In lieu of flowers, you may also consider contributing to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Society to help find a cure.
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Life Church

Life Church