John P. Kluge Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1080, 1083 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JOHN P. KLUGE. 

	John P. Kluge is enjoying a well earned and well merited rest 
after long years of close and active connection with agricultural 
interests. Success came to him in substantial measure as the result of 
his industry and close application and with a handsome competence he 
retired to enjoy the fruits of his former toil. He was born in Norway, 
November 16, 1854, and is a son of P. O. and Mathea Flatten. The family 
came to the United States in 1871 and arrived in South Dakota in 1876. 
settling six miles north of Dell Rapids. The father secured a homestead 
claim and also a timber claim and devoted his energies to the 
development and improvement of his property until the time of his 
death, which occurred in 1902. His wife lived till 1910. They were 
among the pioneer settlers of South Dakota and took an active and 
helpful interest in promoting the work of general improvement and in 
reclaiming the district in which they settled for purposes of 
civilization. 

	John P. Kluge was a youth of about seventeen years when the 
family came to the new world. In early manhood he learned the wagon 
maker's trade, which he followed in La Crosse, Wisconsin, until he came 
to South Dakota in 1877. The section of the state in which he settled 
was just being opened up to civilization and improvement. Much of the 
land was still in the possession of the government and the district 
gave little evidence of being soon transformed into a rich agricultural 
region. Like his father, John P. Kluge acquired a homestead and a 
timber claim in Moody county and concentrated his efforts upon general 
agricultural pursuits, continuing to farm and develop that place until 
1905. The result of his efforts was seen in well tilled fields 
productive of good crops. He saved his earnings, carefully and 
systematically managed the farm work and as the years went on a 
substantial competence accrued. In 1905 he retired to his present home 
in Colman, but still owns his farm and has added to his original 
holdings. He also has property in Clark county. Success in substantial 
measure has crowned his labors and he now gives his supervision merely 
to his invested interests and spends some time in working in his garden 
plot of three acres. Indolence and idleness are utterly foreign to his 
nature so that he could not content himself without some occupation and 
thus he whiles away the hours, finding pleasure in the cultivation and 
production of garden produce. He is financially interested in important 
business projects and is now vice president and one of the directors of 
the Citizens State Bank of Colman, in which he owns considerable stock, 
and is also president of the Farmers Elevator Company. 

	In 1880 Mr. Kluge was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Hagen, a 
daughter of John G. and Helen Hagen, the former a soldier of the Civil 
war who was with Sherman in the Atlanta campaign and on the march to 
the sea. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Kluge are seven children: Julia, 
now the wife of O. Hilmoe; Millie, the wife of E. P. Olson; Emma, who 
married D. L. Firestone; Ida, at home; Clara, the wife of M. Stevenson; 
Matilda, at home; and Julius, who is attending school at Humboldt 
College in Iowa. 

	The religious faith of the family is that of the Lutheran church 
and Mr. Kluge's political belief is that of the republican party. He 
has served as chairman of the township board of supervisors and as 
assessor of Colman. He is now treasurer of the school board and for 
many years served in the same capacity on the township board. Having 
retired from business, he has leisure for public duties, which he 
discharges in a most prompt and efficient manner. He and his wife have 
led active, busy and useful lives, crowned with a measure of success 
that is the merited reward of their earnest and intelligently directed 
effort. They certainly deserve much credit for what they have 
accomplished and they are highly esteemed by all who know them.