John Bench Klepper 1849-1937

    John was born in Oct 1849 in Greene, Mo. and was the son of Andrew Jackson Klepper and Nancy.  John died 1937 in Collin County, Texas and was buried in the Plano Mutual Cemetery.
    Active in politics, John served on the city council and was a Mayor in Plano, Collin County, Texas.  In the 1880s he was also a member of the Plano Masonic Lodge with John T. Kendrick and Joe Beverly.
    John and Mary Caroline Cunningham were married on Dec 1868.  Mary was born in Jan 1850 in Mo. and died on 19 Jun 1904 in Collin County, Texas.  She was buried next to her husband at the Plano Mutual Cemetery.  Mary was the daughter of Josiah Cunningham and Elizabeth J. Horton.
    The Bench family also came to Plano, Texas from Hawkins County in Tennessee by way of Mo.  This may be the source of John's middle name.
    The Arcana Masonic Lodge #489 (Limestone, Washington County, Tennessee) list a John B. Klepper, Steward, as one of twenty-seven charter members in 1887 but we believe that this may have been another person.

Children:
1. Clarence Monroe Klepper b. 18 Feb 1873 Greene, Mo. , d. Oct 1957 New Orleans, LA.
2. Florence Eliza Klepper b. Oct 1875 Mo.
3. Lula Ann Klepper b. 30 June 1879 Mo; mar. Wm. B. McKinney
4. Albert A. Klepper b. Jan 1884 TX; d. 1925; Buried at the Plano Mutual Cemetery
5. Frank Earl Klepper b. 3 May 1890 Tx.; Buried at the Plano Mutual Cemetery.

Source:
• Lucille Mehrkam, History and Genealogy of the Family of Jacob Klepper/Clepper Family and Malcolm McAlpine Family (The Gregath Company, 1996), Library of Congress under card number 86-62751 (Page 11)
• 1880-1900 Censuses of Collin Co., Tx
• Jon P. Czarowitz, Great Grandson of John Bench Klepper
• http://home.wireco.net/~arcana489/history.htm
• http://www.OrrellFamily.com/Database/OrrellAll/pafg279.htm
• http://www.PlanoMasonicLodge.org/History/History.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Plano_Mayors (Has a spelling error on his name.)
• Additional information can be found at the Municipal Reference Library of Plano, Collin County, Texas.  City Hall, 1520 K Avenue, third floor.