One less student will make the journey back to Baker this fall to complete his junior year of classes, leaving a void in the hearts of those who knew him.
Roland Klundt, 20, died June 7 during an attempted robbery of his home at 1311 Delaware Street in Lawrence.
A service was held June 16 at the Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence with Sandy Davidson, advising and tutoring coordinator, officiating. In attendance were Baker students, faculty, staff, friends and family.
Davidson only knew Klundt from working with him through Student Academic Services, but said it became clear as she gathered memories from friends and family describing him as patient, hardworking and a lover of pets and the outdoors, that he presented himself to everyone in the same manner.
"I found that to be particularly striking," she said. "For a person to be the same regardless and the same in a very kind way, spoke to his authenticity. He was just a kind, kind soul. It's going to be hard with the school year starting and not seeing Roland on campus."<br/>Academic Services Assistant Kathy Wilson said she would miss looking up and seeing Klundt's smile as he walked into her office but enjoy the memory that he was proud to be a Baker student.Academic Services Assistant Kathy Wilson said she would miss looking up and seeing Klundt's smile as he walked into her office but enjoy the memory that he was proud to be a Baker student.
Academic Services Assistant Kathy Wilson said she would miss looking up and seeing Klundt’s smile as he walked into her office but enjoy the memory that he was proud to be a Baker student.
"He took his studies seriously. The appointments he had with me and others—he was on time, he was prepared, he took care of business. He was just that type of a person," Wilson said. "I'm definitely going to miss him, miss his smile, no doubt about that."<br/>Wilson smiled herself when remembering how Klundt enjoyed a weightlifting class and took it up even after the class was over, noting a change in his physique, but laughing at herself for not acknowledging his lack of interest for a sugary beverage almost every time he was in her office.Wilson smiled herself when remembering how Klundt enjoyed a weightlifting class and took it up even after the class was over, noting a change in his physique, but laughing at herself for not acknowledging his lack of interest for a sugary beverage almost every time he was in her office.
Wilson smiled herself when remembering how Klundt enjoyed a weightlifting class and took it up even after the class was over, noting a change in his physique, but laughing at herself for not acknowledging his lack of interest for a sugary beverage almost every time he was in her office.
“It took me about five times of offering him a soda to realize I don’t think he drank soda pop. I think he probably thought it was unhealthy and because I would occasionally drink the diet coke or whatever, I don’t think he wanted to be rude and say ‘I don’t drink soda pop, it’s not good for you’ because he would offend me,” Wilson said. “That’s the way Roland was, thoughtful in those types of ways.”
Klundt’s mother Heather Hein said her son’s patience and diligence as an adult grew out of being the exact same way as a boy. He would choose to stay home on school nights and finish homework when the family wanted to go do something fun, which she believes led to his success as a college student.
“Roland had a pretty severe reading disability and he had worked extra hard to get to a four-year college and be accepted at Baker and get the scholarship and everything. Where one person might have had to do four hours of homework, Roland might have to do eight or more hours because of having to do books on tape. But no matter what, he would do it,” Hein said.
Susan Wade, Klundt’s First Year Experience professor, said his patience and consideration for others was clear during the community service portion of the class. Wade said students worked on a house in Gardner painting it and cleaning the yard for a woman in her 90s, but at the end of the day everyone realized the storm windows had been placed in the house backward.
"I just remember a handful of students saying ‘OK, we're going to stay and make it right.' And one of those students was Roland," she said.<br/>Roland's brother Levi Klundt, 18, said it's hard to put into words a description of the big brother he lived with.Roland's brother Levi Klundt, 18, said it's hard to put into words a description of the big brother he lived with.
Roland’s brother Levi Klundt, 18, said it’s hard to put into words a description of the big brother he lived with.
“He was a really outstanding guy; if you needed help with anything, he’d help you,” Levi said. “He was open to meet anybody and everybody; he was really friendly and just awesome—just a big, loveable guy.”
One of his best memories of Roland is working on a ’70s-era green Volkswagen Beetle the two bought and were fixing up which Levi now drives.
“We worked on it a lot, and we were both really involved in car electronics and stereos. He spent a lot of time working on the car stereo he had in his car—definitely a good memory,” Levi said.