Pulaski County ArArchives Biographies.....Kruger, John Henry ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/arfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Robert Sanchez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00027.html#0006574 July 29, 2009, 7:34 pm Source: See Additional Comments Below Author: S. J. Clarke (Publisher, 1922) JOHN HENRY KRUGER. John Henry Kruger, whose training, experience and business activity have been such as to make him fit and ready to take a large place and play a large part in the world of men, is now the state sales manager for the Magnolia Petroleum Company. Important and responsible as is this position it has been attained solely through individual merit and ability. He started out in the business world in the humble position of messenger boy with the Waters-Pierce Company of Galveston, Texas. Since that time he has made steady progress in connection with the oil industry and today his name is widely known in business circles not only in Arkansas but throughout the southwest. He was born in Peoria, Illinois, November 10, 1871, his parents being Edward Henry and Dora (Johnson) Kruger. The father was a musician, devoting his life to the art and his last days were spent in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a soldier of the Civil war, serving with the rank of corporal in the Union army and was with General Sherman on the celebrated, march from Atlanta to the sea. Because of wounds which he received during a charge on Rome, Georgia, he was not returned to active service. Both he and his wife have departed this life. Their family numbered three sons, one of whom died in infancy. The youngest of the family, John Henry Kruger, was a young lad when his parents removed from Illinois to Atlanta, Georgia, where he pursued a public school education. He was a youth of eighteen years when he first became identified with the oil business in Galveston, Texas, as a representative of the Waters-Pierce Company in 1889, accepting the minor position of office boy. He was industrious and energetic and steadily won promotion, becoming bookkeeper and eventually an agent for the company at Galveston, in 1908. He continued to serve in that connection for three years, or until 1911, when he accepted the position of sales agent with the Magnolia Petroleum Company at Galveston, his territory covering four counties. In that position he remained until 1913, when he was transferred to Fort Worth, Texas, as assistant manager of the northwestern division. In 1916 he was transferred to Little Rock as state manager of the Arkansas division of the Magnolia Petroleum Company and has since acted in that capacity, covering a period of five years. The Magnolia Petroleum Company was organized in 1911 and now has a capital stock of one hundred and twenty million dollars and also has nearly six hundred distributing stations in the southwest. The corporation not only owns valuable oil land that is doing splendid production work, but places upon the market many of its manufactured products, including engine oil, machine oil, cup grease, cylinder oil, tractor oil, auto oil, gasoline, gas engine oil, fibre grease and many other of its by-products. As manager of the Arkansas division Mr. Kruger has greatly developed the business of the company in this state. On the 22d of June, 1896, Mr. Kruger was married to Miss Mary Lallier Davison, who was born in Texas, in July, 1872. Their children are: Florence Dorothy, born in 1900 and now a graduate of the Little Rock high school, while for two years she has been a student in the University of Arkansas; and Edward Davison, who was born in 1901 and is a graduate of the Little Rock high school with the class of 1920. The religious faith of the family is indicated by their membership in the Second Baptist church, in which Mr. Kruger is serving as a deacon. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and 'he keeps well informed on the vital questions and issues of the day. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias, is a Scottish Rite Mason and is a member of the Spring Lake Club. His record is commendable and should serve as a source of encouragement and inspiration to others. His steady rise with the company in spite of early educational disadvantages is certainly worthy of admiration. His leisure time in his youth and early manhood were given to study with the realization of the value of education as a factor in success in life. He is yet a comparatively young man and what he has already accomplished indicates that his future career will be well worth watching. Additional Comments: Citation: Centennial History of Arkansas Volume II Chicago-Little Rock: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company 1922 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ar/pulaski/bios/kruger331bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/arfiles/ File size: 5.0 Kb