Luke Joseph Kliegl

Luke J. Kliegl, age 30, of Holstein, passed away on Saturday, June 13, 2026 in Sierra Vista, Arizona. A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 10:30 A.M. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church of Holstein. Burial will be at the Calvary Cemetery of Holstein. Military rites will be conducted by the Iowa Army National Guard and the American Legion Dessel- Schmidt Post #225 of Holstein. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Home of Holstein. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Swingin' Fore Soldiers or the Army Emergency Relief via the links below in memory of Luke.

Staff Sergeant (E-6) Luke Joseph Kliegl, son of Art and Natalie Kliegl, was born on August 14, 1995, in Dallas Texas. He grew up in Holstein, Iowa graduating from Ridge View High School in 2014. During high school Luke was a dedicated student-athlete. He graduated with honors, participated in both concert and jazz band, and competed on the football, wrestling, track, and cross country teams. His education continued at Iowa State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology in 2018.

In February of 2019, he enlisted in the United States Army and completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He was transferred to the Department of Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California to fulfill his MOS where he studied and became proficient in Persian Farsi.

After graduation from the language institute, he was assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky as his first duty station. At Fort Cambell he served in a Military Intelligence company within an Engineering Battalion. During this assignment he was deployed to Europe and served in both Romania and Germany. One highlight of his service there was a briefing that he gave to Admiral C.W. Grady - the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In recognition of this briefing, he was coined by Admiral Grady. An even more significant highlight from this deployment was meeting his future fiancé, Sergeant First Class (E-7) Victoria Childs.

Following deployment, Luke returned to Fort Campbell where he applied for the next stage of his military career, special forces selection. Luke was granted a slot in Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) in 2025. He traveled to Camp Mackall, North Carolina where he successfully completed Selection. He was recently transferred to Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona where he passed away on June 13, 2026.

Luke had a passion for health and physical fitness. He could often be found at the gym completing one of his multiple daily workouts. Luke shared his passion for fitness with his friends, family and fellow soldiers. He spent hours of his personal time training and encouraging the men and women in his platoon to ensure they were able to meet the Army’s fitness standards. Luke also enjoyed training and competing in martial arts. He was a decorated high-school wrestler, an officer of the Iowa State Club Wrestling Team, and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blue belt. Luke was an avid outdoorsman, leading his friends and family on various hiking and backpacking trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Luke will always be remembered for his kind heart and genuine care for all around him. His inspiring work ethic, sense of humor, and adventurous spirit will be missed by all who knew him.

Those left to cherish his memory include his parents Art and Natalie Kliegl of Holstein,IA; brothers Charlie of Royal Oak, MI and Jake (Elizabeth) and their three children Jonathan, Cecilia and Margaret of Nemaha, IA; fiancé Victoria Childs, Yokota Air Base, Japan; grandmothers Evelyn Kliegl of Emmetsburg, IA and Penny Bonneau of Plano,TX; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Luke was preceded in death by his grandpas, George Kliegl and Keith Schmidt.