Cleve R Winkel

Cleve R Winkel passed away on December 20, 2025, in North Logan, Utah.

Cleve was born on March 20, 1932, in Logan, Utah, to Anton G. and Clella Luke Winkel, a 9-pound baby and the first of seven children. His father was seeking an education in Forestry and Agriculture at Utah State Agricultural College during the Great Depression period. He attended nursery school at the College and kindergarten at the Wilson School. After his father graduated, the family moved to Dubois, Idaho, for employment with the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station, then they moved to Pocatello, Idaho, where Cleve attended first grade. Employment with the Soil Conservation Service (USDA) took the family to northeast Oregon and then to Redmond, Oregon, where Cleve attended and graduated from Redmond Union High School.

Through high school, Cleve worked after school and summers at a nearby creamery. He soon became a state-licensed dairy product tester as a teenager. He saved enough money to purchase a 1940 Ford coupe, which he drove to Logan, Utah in the fall of 1950 to attend Utah State University. From his early years, he had a great desire to gain knowledge and a formal education. He received a B.S. degree in 1954 and also a 2nd Lieutenant commission in the U.S. Army through R.O.T.C. An M.S. degree in Dairy Chemistry was received in 1955.

Cleve married Vera Stevens on June 1, 1955, in the Logan Temple. After graduating from Officer Basic Course at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, he received orders to leave for Inchon, Korea, on July 4, 1955. He had three different assignments, the executive officer of a Korean battery in Inchon, a Korean officer instructor at Osan Air Force Base and Assistant Operations Officer at Osan Air Base.

While he was in Korea, Vera taught at Logan High School and also gave birth to their first child, Steven, in March 1956. When Cleve was discharged from the Army in October 1956, he began doing research at the University of Utah Medical School for a year and then became a medical student there from 1957 to 1959. At that time, he decided to change course and pursue a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry, which was made possible through accepting a position at Ricks College to teach chemistry. In time, he was able to take a 3-year leave to do research, study and teaching at Brigham Young University. He was awarded a Ph.D. degree in 1970 from BYU and then continued teaching at Ricks College, a total of 37 years. Teaching chemistry turned out to be very satisfying. In 1978, the American Manufacturing Chemists Association awarded him an Excellence in Teaching College Chemistry award medal and certificate. He also served in Ricks College administration as Chemistry Department Chairman for 5 years and as Natural Science Division Chairman for 5 years. The year of his retirement, 1996, he was honored by presenting the main address at Ricks College Commencement.

After Cleve’s retirement from Ricks College in 1996, they moved to an acreage in Paradise, Utah, where they lived for 16 years and developed a fun family gathering place. In 2012, they moved to North Logan.

Cleve has always been an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served as a ward bishop for seven years, three terms as a stake high councilman, and served in many other teaching and leadership callings. He also served as an ordinance worker many years in the Logan LDS Temple and as a missionary at the Family History Center and for the Special-Needs LDS Seminary.

He found satisfaction in doing research and writing, especially in the fields of science, religion and family history. This resulted in many documents written by him and shared with family and others.

He has studied details of the Shroud of Turin and gave over 20 slide presentations to youth and other groups. He was convinced, with other chemists, that the Turin Shroud is actually the cover of Jesus Christ after his body was taken down from the crucifix until the resurrection and he wrote three papers regarding this claim.

He had a strong work ethic and lovingly instilled that in his children. He grew many large vegetable gardens, raised livestock and constructed two homes, three barns and a cabin after the Teton flood. He was very creative and inventive, including backyard playground equipment and toys that he made. His children and grandchildren remember tractor-trailer rides, playground and pond fun and also his wise teaching moments.

He loved music, having played trumpet in his early life, and enjoyed singing in quartets, choirs and with family. He especially enjoyed listening to good music.

Both he and Vera felt their greatest achievement was their rearing of nine wonderful children, four sons and 5 daughters. On June 1, 2025, they celebrated 70 years of a great marriage.

He is survived by his wife, Vera, and eight children: Steven (Tammy), Rexburg; Idaho, Von, Mesquite, Nevada; Julann (Lester) Blake, Rexburg, Idaho; Bryan (Cherylin), Spanish Fork, Utah; Laren (Sherri), Highland, Utah; Janeen (Larry) Fluckiger, Highland, Utah; Marlynn (David) Hunter, Kaysville, Utah; Amy (Bob) Hart, West Jordan, Utah; 52 grandchildren, 70 great grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren and 4 step-great grandchildren; three brothers: Bob, Ken, and Ron Winkel.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Gary, two sisters, Verlene Tanner and Toni Handy, one daughter and her husband, Arla and Paul Gibbons, one daughter-in-law, Sierra Jane Winkel, and one infant great-granddaughter Gracee.

Funeral services will be recorded and available at nelsonfuneralhome.com a few hours following.

Interment will be in the Logan City Cemetery.