Donald Marion Kleinendorst the son of Cornelius "Neal" Kleinendorst and Mary Catherine Vanderbeek, was born on December 24, 1919 in on the family farm near Prairie City, Jasper County, Iowa. He graduated from Warren Grove Elementary School in Monroe, Iowa.
The following is text provided by Donald in the year 2000:
"We were living on the farm near Prairie City, Iowa when my mother died. The four boys were then farmed out to aunts and uncles. I lived with Uncle Adolph "Butch" and Grandfather Vanderbeek, Panama, Nebraska, for one summer and one school year. During the depression my Father decided to move to Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota to try to make a better living as times were very tough. My three brothers and I went with Dad to help him clear land as he bought 160 acres which was all woods. We cleared enough to build a barn and chicken house which is where we lived for many years. It was very crude but was kept neat and clean. By this time Dad had remarried and there were three additional children. My step mother with the three children lived in Hill City, Aitkin County, Minnesota until the first buildings were complete. A fourth child was born later to the second marriage.
Later on us four boys enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps. "CCC". This helped bring in extra income for the family as we each were paid $30.00 dollars a month of which $25 was sent home. I stayed with the CCC for two years and then worked in Grand Rapids, Minnesota until I was drafted in the US Army early in World War II. After completing basis training I was stationed at a United States Army Camp in the Panama Canal Zone. I was in Heavy Equipment Maintenance, repairing tanks, jeeps, trucks etc. I was in the service for four years. On returning from the service I was employed in Saint Paul, Minnesota at "Saint Paul Buick". I started out in the Body Shop and later moved up into management.I moved with the company to White Bear Minnesota and was employed there for forty three years until retirement.
Donald Marion Kleinendorst and Lucille Harms, daughter of Helmuth Harms and Elizabeth Thnan, were married on July 24, 1948 at First English Lutheran Church, in Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota. Two Children were born to this union, Mary Elizabeth (Ward), and Thomas.
The following is text provided by Donald in the year 2000:
"We were living on the farm near Prairie City, Iowa when my mother died. The four boys were then farmed out to aunts and uncles. I lived with Uncle Adolph "Butch" and Grandfather Vanderbeek, Panama, Nebraska, for one summer and one school year. During the depression my Father decided to move to Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota to try to make a better living as times were very tough. My three brothers and I went with Dad to help him clear land as he bought 160 acres which was all woods. We cleared enough to build a barn and chicken house which is where we lived for many years. It was very crude but was kept neat and clean. By this time Dad had remarried and there were three additional children. My step mother with the three children lived in Hill City, Aitkin County, Minnesota until the first buildings were complete. A fourth child was born later to the second marriage.
Later on us four boys enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps. "CCC". This helped bring in extra income for the family as we each were paid $30.00 dollars a month of which $25 was sent home. I stayed with the CCC for two years and then worked in Grand Rapids, Minnesota until I was drafted in the US Army early in World War II. After completing basis training I was stationed at a United States Army Camp in the Panama Canal Zone. I was in Heavy Equipment Maintenance, repairing tanks, jeeps, trucks etc. I was in the service for four years. On returning from the service I was employed in Saint Paul, Minnesota at "Saint Paul Buick". I started out in the Body Shop and later moved up into management.I moved with the company to White Bear Minnesota and was employed there for forty three years until retirement.
Donald Marion Kleinendorst and Lucille Harms, daughter of Helmuth Harms and Elizabeth Thnan, were married on July 24, 1948 at First English Lutheran Church, in Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota. Two Children were born to this union, Mary Elizabeth (Ward), and Thomas.
Donald Marion Kleinendorst the son of Cornelius "Neal" Kleinendorst and Mary Catherine Vanderbeek, was born on December 24, 1919 in on the family farm near Prairie City, Jasper County, Iowa. He graduated from Warren Grove Elementary School in Monroe, Iowa.
The following is text provided by Donald in the year 2000:
"We were living on the farm near Prairie City, Iowa when my mother died. The four boys were then farmed out to aunts and uncles. I lived with Uncle Adolph "Butch" and Grandfather Vanderbeek, Panama, Nebraska, for one summer and one school year. During the depression my Father decided to move to Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota to try to make a better living as times were very tough. My three brothers and I went with Dad to help him clear land as he bought 160 acres which was all woods. We cleared enough to build a barn and chicken house which is where we lived for many years. It was very crude but was kept neat and clean. By this time Dad had remarried and there were three additional children. My step mother with the three children lived in Hill City, Aitkin County, Minnesota until the first buildings were complete. A fourth child was born later to the second marriage.
Later on us four boys enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps. "CCC". This helped bring in extra income for the family as we each were paid $30.00 dollars a month of which $25 was sent home. I stayed with the CCC for two years and then worked in Grand Rapids, Minnesota until I was drafted in the US Army early in World War II. After completing basis training I was stationed at a United States Army Camp in the Panama Canal Zone. I was in Heavy Equipment Maintenance, repairing tanks, jeeps, trucks etc. I was in the service for four years. On returning from the service I was employed in Saint Paul, Minnesota at "Saint Paul Buick". I started out in the Body Shop and later moved up into management.I moved with the company to White Bear Minnesota and was employed there for forty three years until retirement.
Donald Marion Kleinendorst and Lucille Harms, daughter of Helmuth Harms and Elizabeth Thnan, were married on July 24, 1948 at First English Lutheran Church, in Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota. Two Children were born to this union, Mary Elizabeth (Ward), and Thomas.
The following is text provided by Donald in the year 2000:
"We were living on the farm near Prairie City, Iowa when my mother died. The four boys were then farmed out to aunts and uncles. I lived with Uncle Adolph "Butch" and Grandfather Vanderbeek, Panama, Nebraska, for one summer and one school year. During the depression my Father decided to move to Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota to try to make a better living as times were very tough. My three brothers and I went with Dad to help him clear land as he bought 160 acres which was all woods. We cleared enough to build a barn and chicken house which is where we lived for many years. It was very crude but was kept neat and clean. By this time Dad had remarried and there were three additional children. My step mother with the three children lived in Hill City, Aitkin County, Minnesota until the first buildings were complete. A fourth child was born later to the second marriage.
Later on us four boys enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps. "CCC". This helped bring in extra income for the family as we each were paid $30.00 dollars a month of which $25 was sent home. I stayed with the CCC for two years and then worked in Grand Rapids, Minnesota until I was drafted in the US Army early in World War II. After completing basis training I was stationed at a United States Army Camp in the Panama Canal Zone. I was in Heavy Equipment Maintenance, repairing tanks, jeeps, trucks etc. I was in the service for four years. On returning from the service I was employed in Saint Paul, Minnesota at "Saint Paul Buick". I started out in the Body Shop and later moved up into management.I moved with the company to White Bear Minnesota and was employed there for forty three years until retirement.
Donald Marion Kleinendorst and Lucille Harms, daughter of Helmuth Harms and Elizabeth Thnan, were married on July 24, 1948 at First English Lutheran Church, in Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota. Two Children were born to this union, Mary Elizabeth (Ward), and Thomas.
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