Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 944
H. B. KLING

The success of a business, or vocational career, depends upon character as well as upon knowledge, confidence being an essential factor in any undertaking. In every community, there are men, who, by reason of pronounced ability or some special trait, have risen above their fellowmen and have come to be considered representative citizens. One citizen of Woodbine, Harrison county, Iowa, who can rightly be so designated, is H. B. KLING, president of the First National Bank, vice-president in the Peoples Savings Bank, and ex-representative from Harrison county to the Iowa State Assembly, for three terms.

Mr. KLING is a native of the Badger state, having first seen the light of day in Walworth county on May 23, 1845, being a son of Jacob R. and Emily (BLISS) KLING. Both parents were Easterners by birth, the father coming from the state of New York and the mother from Massachusetts. When she was a young girl, her people removed to New York state and there she met and married subject's father. Shortly after marriage they went to Wisconsin, locating in Walworth county, where they remained until 1885, at which time they came to this state and took up their residence in Harrison county. The father had been trained from boyhood in the routine of farm work and it was to that line of work he devoted himself throughout his life. Their closing days were passed in this county, in Woodbine.

Mr. KLING is one of a family of seven children, being the second child in order of birth. The eldest is a daughter, Mary, who is deceased. The others are Celia, Willard, Edith, Frank and Ruby.

Our subject received his elementary education in the early district schools of Walworth county, Wisconsin, and later took the more advanced work at the Milton Academy, located in the town of that name which is in Rock, the county adjoining Walworth. In that academy he studied for two terms, after which he went to Stoughton, a thriving town, near Madison, and where he became identified with the broom-manufacturing business. He remained here for nine years, when he came to this state where he established himself a citizen of Woodbine, this county. Soon after coming here he became identified with the sale of lumber, grain, coal and farm implements and gave twenty-five of the best years of his life to these various lines, being associated with George A. Mathews, their firm style being MATHEWS & KLING. Upon completing the quarter of a century in the business above mentioned, Mr. KLING retired from activity, having amassed a competence and was able to pass his remaining years in complete relaxation from business cares, if he so desired. His only business connections at the present time are with the First National Bank, of Woodbine, and the Peoples Savings Bank, of the same place, in the former of which he fills the office of president and in the latter, vice-president.

Mr. KLING has always taken an active interest in politics and has filled many offices within the bestowal of the citizens of Woodbine, such, for instance, as member of the city council, school board and others. He is a stalwart Republican and was by his party elected representative from Harrison county to the twenty-ninth, thirtieth and thirty-first General Assemblies of the state of Iowa, being the years of 1902, 1904 and 1906, respectively. By reason of his long business career in Woodbine, and his activity in public affairs, probably no citizen of Woodbine is better known than the immediate subject of this sketch and, throughout the years of his usefulness his name has come to be known as a guarantee of all that is fair and square, whether in business or politics.

Mr. KLING was married on April 11, 1872, when he led to the altar Miss Flora E. ALLEN, daughter of Frank and Anne ALLEN, who were originally from New York state, but who passed the later years of their lives in Wisconsin, where Mr. and Mrs. KLING were married. To this union were born two children, the elder a daughter, Bessie, who is the wife of N. Nelson, and resides in Omaha, Nebraska. The younger child is Herbert A., who fills the responsible position of one of the chief clerks in the office of the Bell Telephone Company, in New York City, and who has his home in Westwood, New Jersey.

In the religious life of the community, Mr. KLING is an attendant of the Presbyterian church, standing stanchly for all those things which tend to elevate humanity and lead others to the better life. Mr. KLING is a man of many excellent traits of character and, because of this fact and his genial disposition, is held in high esteem by all who know him.

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