Obituary of Klaus Kurt Kesselhut

Klaus Kurt Kesselhut, 92, passed away peacefully at his daughter’s home in Augusta, GA, on November 21, 2023, after a courageous battle with cancer. True to his character, Klaus accepted his final days with grace and practicality. Klaus was born in the Wilmersdorf district of Berlin, Germany, on May 30, 1931, to Kaufman “Kurt” Paul Richard and “Grete” Auguste Marie (Schultz) Kesselhut. His childhood would be marked by World War II, where he took on family responsibilities at a young age. The loss of his father in 1945 and post-war interactions with American GIs led to a deep connection with the U.S. After earning his journeyman and master’s certificate in furniture making, Klaus was chosen to participated in the Marshall Plan’s Work-Study Training Program in 1955, which brought him to America, at Hamlin University, in Minneapolis, MN. Klaus returned to Germany briefly to study and obtain a degree in architecture and engineering before immigrating back to the U.S. in 1957 at the age of 26. Along with him, came his first wife, Waltraud, and his mother & father in-law Gertrude and Emil Fregin. They all settled in Minneapolis, MN and in 1962 his first daughter, Mignon, was born. After a vacation to visit friends in California, in 1963 the family then moved to Aptos, California. Klaus was employed by DaPont Construction Company. In 1965, one of his proudest moments came when he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. In 1967, after Waltraud’s passing, Klaus would meet and marry Ruda Mae Sanderson in 1968. In 1971 the couple welcomed Klaus’s second daughter Eden as well as embarking and on construction business, Klaus Building and Design. In the business they would employ and mentor the next generation of apprentices that he and Ruda would call their “sons” and would remain life long friends. During the 70’s Klaus taught night courses in drafting at the local community college, Cabrillo. His business thrived, where he obtained a reputation for his craftsmanship. He would be pictured and published in several newspaper and magazines articles and would earn many community awards for his accomplishments. 1984, the family would relocate to Vermont to restore a historic home and where Klaus could focus on woodworking before moving to North Carolina in retirement. He remained active in his craft and enjoyed his garden well into his later years. Predeceased in death by his wife Waltraud, parents Kurt and Grete, and sister Doris, Klaus is survived by his ex-wife Ruda Kesselhut, daughters Eden Shock and Mignon Kesselhut (Michael Konesky), grandson Jacob Vess, and his dog Fritzel. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Arbor Day Foundation or the American Cancer Society.