Obit: Klingeberger, Rev. John C. (1891? - 1952)

Contact: Dolores Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Klingeberger

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) May 1, 1952

Klingeberger, Rev. John C. (1891? - 26 April 1952)

By Miss Louise Keiner - Word has been received here Sunday informing friends of the death of the Rev. J. C. Klingeberger, former pastor at the West Side Evangelical and Reformed Church.  He had been ill, following an attack of the flu, for the past four weeks and was to have preached in his church in Baltimore, O. on Sunday.  He died in is sleep Saturday night.  He had suffered a heart attack here in the fall of 1950, prior to taking up his pastorate in March, 1951, at Kohler, Wis.

John C. Klingeberger, the son of the Rev. and Mrs. F. Klingeberger, was born at Menomonee Falls, 61 years ago.  He attended schools in Milwaukee, Elmhurst college near Chicago, Ill, and Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.  He graduated from the seminary in 1914 and was ordained to the ministry in his father’s church at Naperville, Ill.

Mr. Klingeberger was a marked success as a minister.  Prior to coming to Clark County he had had pastorates in relatively large churches, located at Covington and Louisville, Ky., and Shelbyville, Indiana.  His pastorate at the West Side Church fell in the period of his maturity, but he was of commanding physique and driving energy, an excellent organizer.  He led the West Side Church at a rapid pace in a variety of activities, his pastorate being marked by marked improvement in the interior of the church building.

Suffered Heart Attack - The seventy-fifth anniversary of the West Side Church came in 1949, and was fittingly celebrated.  Shortly thereafter Mr. Klingeberger purposed to discontinue his work there.  He had begun to feel the strain of the physical exertion incident to the care of the large lawn at the parsonage.  He arranged to take the pastorate of Grace Church at Kohler, and was preparing to make the move when he was stricken with a heart attack.  By necessity he lingered on in the West Side parsonage until he was able to make the move.

His pastorate at Kohler was short; thereafter he went last fall to the pastorate at Baltimore, O.

Mr. Klingeberger was an active factor in Alcoholics Anonymous. He made addresses on the work of that organization, and rendered much personal service to its members.  These activities were private, and made demands upon his time and energies far greater than was generally known.  He became the friend of many unfortunates who will anonymously regret his death.

Funeral services were held at Baltimore on Tuesday, April 29.  He is survived by his wife, to whom he was married in 1916, one son, John F., and a grandson, John Phillip Klingeberger, of Plymouth, Mich.