Cliff LeCleir’s life began in the simplest of ways: on a Wisconsin farm without electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing. As a youngster, he was constantly involved in creating new ventures in hope of enhancing his savings account. He sold pony rides, raised chickens, using his savings to purchase a cow in order to sell her milk for a steadier income. From the sixth grade, his parents expected him to manage his money in order to provide his own clothes, school supplies, and spending money. After graduating from high school, he spent three years in the Army, half of that time as a topographer in Ethiopia. Returning to Wisconsin and civilian life, he married, began college, had three children, and began his first business, all in five years.
At the age of 63, he began the fifth business of his career, calling it “his retirement project.” Recuperation from hip surgery provided him time to contemplate another venture – writing! His writing is plain, down to earth, and from the heart. His first book, “From the Outhouse to the Moon,” has stories surrounding the early days of his life. The second book, “Escape from Tyranny,” is an emotional account of a young couple’s escape from Germany in the 1790s. His third book, “The Making of a Man,” is a rewrite of a character from ancient Jewish history, placing that character in a contemporary format. LeCleir resides in the rural township of Barre near La Crosse, Wisconsin. His hobbies include using his “toys” (a backhoe, bulldozer and dump truck) to create ponds and waterfalls on his land, cutting wood, teaching adult Bible Classes, and playing racquetball. Now in his 70s he quips, “I have a plan. When I’m 80, I’m going to slow down–I don’t care what anyone says!”