Kling, William J.

KLING, ROTDH, CASTORF, ANDREAS

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 9/10/2009 at 17:10:48

Kling, William J.

The qualities which have made William J. Kling one of the prominent and most successful of agriculturists and stock men of Palo Alto Township, Jasper County, have also brought him the esteem of his fellow citizens, for his career has been one of well directed energy, strong determination and honorable methods. He works under a superb system, keeps everything in its proper place and does not disregard small details. Such methods as he employs always insure a fair if not very large measure of success in all lines.

Mr. Kling was born December 25, 1863, in Germany, the ninth child in a family of ten children born to John and Elizabeth (Rotdh) Kling, both natives of Germany. John Kling in his later years followed farming for the most part and in this was very successful. He came to America with his family in 1870 and for a few months they stopped in St. Clair County, Illinois, where some of their relatives were residing, but early in the year 1871 they pushed on farther west and located in Jasper County, Iowa, Mr. Kling buying two hundred acres of land in Elk Creek Township. Here he prospered, becoming one of the township's most extensive landowners, and as a child married he gave each a certain amount of land. At the time of his death he owned three hundred acres, but had quit farming ten years previously. His death occurred on June 16, 1899, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years, his wife having preceded him to the grave in 1875 at the age of fifty-two years. Their ten children all grew to sturdy manhood and womanhood.

William J. Kling attended the public schools of Elk Creek Township and soon after coming of age his father gave him eighty acres of land. A few years later (1890) he purchased seventy acres more. He now has one of the choicest farms in the Township, comprising two hundred and sixty acres, eighty acres of which is in section 1 and one hundred and eighty acres in section 12, adjoining. He has brought his land up to a high state of improvement and cultivation. He has fine modern home and excellent buildings of all kinds. He keeps a good grade of livestock and is in every respect one of our most enterprising farmers.

On April 9, 1891, Mr. Kling was united in marriage with Wilhelmina Andreas, daughter of F. C. and Wilhelmina (Castorf) Andreas, both natives of Germany. She was born in Elk Creek Township, Jasper County, Iowa, on January 15, 1870. Her parents were both children when they came to America; they became well established here, Mr. Andreas being one of the leading farmers of Elk Creek Township. Mr. Andreas died March 18, 1911. Of the ten children born in his family, all survive.

In 1901 Mr. Kling sold his farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Elk Creek Township and bought two hundred and sixty acres in Palo Alto Township, where he now lives.

To Mr. and Mrs. Kling four children have been born, namely: Elma, born October 25, 1892; Ada, born July 14, 1895; Leonard, born November 21, 1898; Lorene, born November 1, 1902.

Mr. and Mrs. Kling are members of the Lutheran Church. Politically, he is a Democrat. He is a man of high character and sterling worth, of an enterprising and progressive spirit and possessing excellent judgment, and he always stands for a square deal between man and man. It is to men of the character of Mr. Kling that this country owes so much. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 1014