William Friederich (August) Kletzien - the oldest son and first child of Abraham Kletzien and Emilia Augusta (Hensel) Kletzien was born November 9, 1866 in a log cabin on the family farm in the town of Schleswig, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. His parents had nine children of whom three died in infancy. He carried, like countless older sons of pioneer stock a responsibility far greater than his years. Schooling was limited to six to eight weeks in winter when time could be spared, and it is questionable if he acquired anything like a sixth grade education and by the time he entered his "teens" his formal education had been terminated. He was his father's right hand man and as such carried a responsibility for family and home, that was deeply impressed on his character. As a young man probably after achieving his majority, he worked one winter as a lumber-jack in Northern Wisconsin. As a hired hand he worked for the much respected Paulson family on a farm immediately south of New Holstein, one of whose members distinguished himself as a county judge, much loved and deeply respected as a jurist and citizen. In the late 1880's he obtained employment at Hayssen's General Store in New Holstein where he lived with the family and learned the role of a general merchant. With the bankruptcy of Hayssens, he was employed for a time at the James Griem Merchantile business, which later with a fellow worker George Leverenz was operated as a partnership under the name of Kletzien and Leverenz for a brief year, after which it was dissolved. With meagre finances he established his own business in 1892 on the site of the present New Holstein Drug Store and continued there until the mid nineteen twenties when he retired, taking up residence on Randolph Street in the home of former Dr. R. C. Meyer, Physician and Surgeon. After a years retirement he applied for and was appointed janitor of the New Holstein Public Schools in which capacity he continued for about ten years. He died of a heart attack on December 16, 1941 and is buried in the New Holstein City Cemetery.