Biographical Sketch of John C. Klenke, Franklin County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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John C. Klenke is the son of Christopher and Margaret (Marquarl) 
Klenke, both natives of Hanover, Germany.  When young both came to
this country, and were married in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the father
followed molding in stove foundry.  About 1844 they came to this 
county, where they passed the remainder of their days.  The father
was of Catholic faith and the mother of Lutheran.  After the death
of the father, in 1860, the mother married Frantz Eckler.  She died
in 1886.  The family by the first marriage consisted of nine child-
ren, four sons and five daughters, our subject being the eldest 
child.  He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1830, and his early 
education was very deficient on account of the meager advantages 
afforded by the schools at that early day.  When about fourteen
years of age he went to St. Louis and engaged as salesman in a 
mercantile establishment at that place.  After working at this 
business for some time he started to learn the plasterer's trade
but soon gave it up.  Soon after he engaged with a firm in merchan-
dising, and step by step he advanced until he became a traveling
salesman, which business he followed for four or five years.  In
1864 he married Miss Lisetta Rechtien, who was a native of Oldenburg,
Germany, she died in Franklin County in 1879.  The result of this 
union was the birth of seven children, one son and six daughters.  In
1879 Mr. Klenke was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Eggert, a 
native of this county, born in 1857, and to this union were born 
four children, one son and three daughters.  In 1865 Mr. Klenke came 
to Franklin County where he engaged in merchandising, and continued
at this business until 1880, when he closed out.  In connection with
selling goods he has been interested in farming.  He is a Democrat in
politics, and he is, as were both his wives, a member of the Catholic
Church.

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