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Martin A. Klingman

There is always good ground for pride when a man can look back over his life and know that his success has been due to his own hard work. It is well worth while to occupy a beautiful home in the consciousness that it has been justly earned by its owner’s labor; and that home is still more cherished if it is the dweller’s handiwork.

Martin A. Klingman was born May 14, 1859, in Highland township, Clayton county, Iowa, the son of Lewis Klingman, formerly of Germany, and Elizabeth (Lowe) Klingman, formerly of Connecticut. Lewis Klingman came as a young man to America, located first in Ohio and then moved to Clayton county, Iowa, where he married. His life was spent at the blacksmith’s trade, though he was the owner of a farm. He was born in 1827, educated in Germany, and was self-educated in American ways. He retired from active labor and enjoyed the comforts of home, of which he always was a great lover, until his death, which occurred in September, 1910. The republican party claims him as one of its staunchest supporters. Elizabeth Lowe was born in 1839 and died in March, 1910. She and her husband became the parents of six children: Martin A., the subject of this sketch; Hattie, wife of J. C. Robbins, of Illyria township (see his sketch); Ernest, of Scott’s Bluffs, Nebraska; Nellie, the wife of Lawrence McKeller, of Clayton county; Edward, a barber, of Elgin, Iowa; Charles, at home.

Martin A. Klingman was educated in the home schools, and lived at home, working on the farm and in the blacksmith shop until 1883, when he got one hundred acres of land in Illyria township. On November 14, 1880, he married Malvina A. Peters, daughter of Alex W. and Margaret Mattocks, of Illyria township. Mr. Peters was originally of Virginia, and his wife of Pennsylvania. They first settled in Pleasant Valley township, then moved to Illyria, where they now reside.

Mr. Klingman, as the result of this marriage, is the father of three children; Elizabeth F., who married Frank Kohl, of West Union, is the mother of two children, Mildred and Lavon; James A., who is cultivating his father’s farm, married Louise Haueisen, of West Union, and they have a son, Robert M., born April 20, 1910; Pearl A. is at home. In 1881 Mr. Klingman lived in Clayton county, later in Winnebago county, then until 1909 he built his fine house in Wadena, where he now resides. He is extremely handy with tools and can make almost anything he wants to. As he is a skillful carpenter, he did most of the work on his house himself. He filled the position of school director for several years, is a Republican, and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America at Highland, Iowa. Hard work has, in his case, brought to him a liberal reward. No citizen better deserves the friendship of his neighbors than he.

~transcribed for the Fayette Co IAGenWeb Project by Tom and Sharon Dorland