Martin M. and Emilia K. Klema (Martin 1851 – 1940, Emilia 1861 - 1939)
Martin Klema Sr., my great grandfather, was only four years old when his family immigrated in 1854.
Martin Mathias Klema was born November 10, 1851 and died June 14, 1940, at the age of 88.
My great grandmother Emilia K. Kannenberg was born in Vandsburg, West Prussia (now Wiecbork, Poland) on 20 December 1861, and died 11 April 1939, at the age of 77.
Martin M. Klema and Emilia K. Kannenberg were married on April 10, 1877, at the home of Emilia’s mother, Augustina Kannenberg.
Emelia was 15 years old at the time. (At that time, Augustina’s first husband August Kannenberg had died, and she had remarried Peter Clope, in 1869.) Accounts state that 50 persons were present, and the ceremony was performed by Reverend Weber, of the Geneva Street Lutheran Church in Racine. That is interesting, because Augustina was originally Catholic, and August Kannenberg was originally Presbyterian. Of course, it is pretty certain that of the 50 attendees, two were Emilia’s brothers Charles and Edward; and six were Emilia’s stepbrothers and stepsisters from the Clope family.
Martin and Emilia proceeded to have fifteen children over the next 26 years. 12 sons and 3 daughters. The third was my grandmother, Mary Chernohorsky nee Klema, and the last was my great uncle Irving Klema. Emilia came to be known as “Grandma Klema” in the later day family. Martin learned the blacksmith trade at the Gaiser Threshing Machine Company in Racine, as a boy. He then established his own blacksmith shop in Tabor.
On March 13, 1882, Martin and Emilia acquired a farm on the southeast corner of Highway 32 and the 4 ½ Mile Road (2825 4 ½ Mile Road). That house still stands today, after passing to Irving; but it is now the Mocha Lisa coffee shop.
Martin sold farm machinery, black smithed, and operated the farm for the next half-century. Martin held three US patents, two for feed cutters (1883, 1888) and one for a potato digger (1894). Martin waited until 1924 to become naturalized – when he was over 70 years old. Martin was active in community affairs. He was a life-long member of the Bohemian society of Tabor. For two years, he was supervisor for the town of Caledonia, and for 40 years, he was a commissioner on the board of Westfield school, district number eight.
Submitted by Robert H. Kadlec (great grandson)
