Springfield-Greene
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JOHN WESLEY KLINGNER. The record of John Wesley Klingner is one that is deserving of our admiration for it shows the possibilities here in free America of a young man of ambition, fortitude, grit and perseverance, although springing from a humble environment. It proves that blood counts in this country but in a different way in which the "blood" of the European nations count, for here we count as worthiest, the good, sterling blood of our honest, hard-working ancestors, while across the ocean it is merely a difference of aristocracy so-called and peasantry, the latter counting, in many instances, for more than the former, in the true scale of being. Our subject was fortunate in having behind him progenitors of the right sort, what we in this country would call the best blood of Germans and Anglo-Saxons, and so it is not surprising that he has made a success in life despite obstacles.
Mr. Klingner was born September 28, 1877, at Fair Grove, Greene county, Missouri. He is a son of John and Mollie (Shade) Klingner, a well known and highly respected family of that locality, where the father has long been engaged in general agricultural pursuits and where he is also doing a splendid work as a local minister in the Methodist church. In view of the fact that a full record of this family appears on another page of this volume, it will not be repeated here.
John W. Klingner, who is one of the progressive and efficient undertakers of this section of Missouri, grew to manhood on the home farm near Fair Grove and there did his share of the work during the crop season, when he became of proper age, and he received his early education in the public schools of his native vicinity, and when young learned the blacksmith's trade at which he worked for a period of ten years, becoming quite proficient in the same and had a good business, but turning his attention to another field of endeavor he entered the Williams Institute of Embalming at Kansas City, where he made rapid progress and from which institution he was graduated with the class of 1908. Soon thereafter he went to Rogers, Arkansas, where he engaged in his profession a year and got a good start, but seeking a larger field for the exercise of his talents he came to Springfield, Missouri and on November 1, 1909, organized the J. W. Klingner & Company, with a capital stock of seven thousand dollars, and incorporated the same. They commenced business at 432 East Commercial street and here they have remained and have built up a large and constantly growing business, of which our subject is manager. They are properly equipped, everything modern, and prompt and honest service is the aim of the company at all times. Mr. Klingner is an expert in embalming and is a close student in all that pertains to this art, and he is popular as a funeral director.
Mr. Klingner was married December 24, 1899, to Lulu Putman, of Fair Grove, Missouri, where she was born September 17, 1880, and there was reared to womanhood and educated. She is a daughter of E. B. and Meranda Putman.
Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Klingner, namely: Velda, born August 2, 1901, died October 4, 1913; Mona, born February 14, 1906, John B., born July 13, 1909; Malcolm, born June 12, 1911.
Politically, Mr. Klingner is a Democrat. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and fraternally is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Masonic order, being postmaster of Gate of Temple Lodge, No. 422, in the work of which he has been very active; he also belongs to Queen City Chapter, Order of Eastern Star, No. 226.
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