Rod Cleveland Obituary, Death – Rodney Adams Cleveland, age 91, of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, died away in a calm and peaceful manner on December 24, 2022 with his family at his side. On July 24, 1931, he was welcomed into the world in Deer River, Minnesota by parents Edwin and Lena (Adams) Cleveland. The Deer River High School diploma was awarded to Rod. After receiving his diploma, he signed up to serve in the United States Navy.
After serving for four years, he went back to his hometown of Talmoon, Minnesota, and it was there that he met Shirley Ann Probst, the person with whom he would spend the remainder of his life. They tied the knot on September 21, 1957, and shortly after they established their household in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Rod and Shirley were a wonderful couple who worked together to provide a loving and supportive environment for their five children: four sons and a daughter.
Rod was employed by Blandin Paper Company for the majority of their 65 years together as a married couple, totaling 36 of those years. After Rod’s retirement in 1992, the couple set out on their travels. They had a wonderful time in the mild winters of Arizona while spending the fall and spring in Branson, Missouri. When Rod was not on the road, you could find him participating in the activities of his grandkids, fishing in Canada with “the Cleveland Clan,” or driving his vehicle through the woods.
He will be remembered for all time as a caring and compassionate man with an incredible sense of humor, and as a man who prioritized his family above all else. Rod’s maternal and paternal grandparents, Edwin (Burney) and Lena Cleveland, as well as his baby son Stuart, his sisters Bertha and Luella, and his brothers Donald and Edwin, all passed away before him. Rod is survived by his wife Shirley, as well as his sons Allan (Carol Ann) Cleveland of Menahga, Minnesota, Todd (Amy) Cleveland of Elcho, Wisconsin, Randy (Shelby) Cleveland of Cohasset, Minnesota, and Jon (Elisha) Cleveland of Grand Rapids, Minnesota; and his daughter Kim (Tim) Dumm of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
He is also survived by his 15 grandchildren: Erica (Patrick), Megan (Brady), Tarah, Nate, Ryan (Christine), Mackenzie, Ashton, Michaela, Leah, Korbin, Katie, Jared, Jack, Casey, and Grant. His children Erica (Patrick), Megan (Brady), Tarah, Nate, and Ryan (Christine) all survive him. Emmett, Charlotte, Cole, Graasyn, and Soryn are his five great-grandchildren, and he also has Soryn.
The Anatomy Bequest Program at the University of Minnesota will benefit from Rod’s final act of generosity, which was to donate his corpse to the university for the purpose of furthering medical study. In the summer of 2023, there will be a gathering to honor Rod and celebrate his life.
