Richard was my uncle and I am writing this starting through the eyes of a child of about seven years old when he came into my life.
Richard was born and raised in Ohio like several generations of the Klingler Klan before him.
He served his country during World War II with a Naval Construction Battalion fighting in the Pacific Theater.
After the war he eventually went to work for Bendix; a spark plug manufacturer and later being known as Ford Autolite in Fostoria, Ohio; driving trucks where he met his future wife, Bettie.
Around the beginning of 1962 they packed a U-haul trailer and hitched it up to his Falcon station wagon then headed to California with Betties’ two boys; Donald and Dean; where they stayed with Betties’ brother; Richard; until he was able to secure employment and a home of their own. Here they started their new additions to the family, first with Deborah and then Kelly.
He went to work in the sand and gravel industry for Owens Illinois; a silica sand plant in Corona, where he maintained conveyors, crushing and assorted equipment. Many times as a child I road with my father to the plant to visit with him. It was hard work and expanded over many acres on both sides of; at that time called; the highway. It was here that in the late ‘60’s Richard sustained a back injury which plagued him throughout his life. In this era back surgeries was a thing for the future and the severity of the operation was not disclosed to the younger children but prior to the surgery Donald was brought home from serving a tour with the Army in Viet Nam by the Red Cross because the out come of the surgery was unknown. He never returned to work for the plant and gained employment with jobs of less physical demands.
Richard loved the outdoors and prior to his back injury, was involved with Donald and Dean in the Boy Scouts making many backpacking adventures with the troop. One story he was amused with telling was that on one such week trip into the High Sierra Mountains he carried in his pack, candies which he would use for the sugar energy. The kids would all ask for him to share with them and he would refuse stating they needed to carry their own; not trying to be mean but to impress on them the idea that they needed to learn to literally carry their own weight (supplies). During one of the nights a bear came into the camp and tore his backpack apart getting after the candy. The following day, not wanting a repeat of the night before, Richard tried giving what was left of the candy to the kids to use it up and they wanted nothing to do with it.
At some point the country boy showed through and he began to raise rabbits in his backyard of his residential home which he sold. I do not know if this was for a financial venture or just a hobby; at times he had many of them.
The home they bought was one street over from the first house we had lived in when we first arrived in California in 1960 so we already knew most of the children living in the neighborhood and spent many weekends back and fourth with our cousins. Richard and Bettie were always fair but required that if we were going to partake we would also be required to contribute. This was accomplished through yard work, cleaning the dishes or other house work; nothing to difficult and probably more to just start teaching us some responsibilities. On one such weekend, Friday afternoon all the friends in the neighborhood decided to meet at the school yard the next day to play baseball. Saturday rolled around and we were ready to head there when we were told we had to pull some weeds before we could go play. I do not remember the number but it was so many large grocery bags full of weeds before we could go play. We all started complaining and Richard would just chuckle and let it be known that the longer it took the less time we had to play. Once started one of us devised a plan and in no time we had the required number completed. We went in and let Richard know the task was completed and he seemed to know something was up. He went out to check and we did have what appeared to be the correct amount but he was still suspicious. After digging thru the bags he found that we had put 2 or 3 plastic gallon jugs in the bottom of the bags and just filled the tops with the weeds. He told us to complete filling the bags and then we could leave as he was walking away chuckling; he already knew who was going to win. When we were completed he said have fun. I never did see him or Bettie mad or angry and he usually had that chuckle. Thinking back through the years they were always loving and forgiving.
I believe it was 1970 – ’71; they again packed their belongings to move to find greener pastures in Montana. They established a home in a rental, searched out and purchased some small acreage of land and started to build their own home; where they remained the duration of their life.
Here Richard found employment driving trucks, working with the county in weed and mosquito control and others as well. He also served as a member of the board of directors for Park County Rural Fire No.1 in Livingston.
They continued to open their home to family and friends and I had made many trips there for visits. On one such visit in ’87, Bettie and I were speaking of the family left in Ohio; she had never returned there since she had left; the annual Crawford Reunion was approaching and I could see the longing in her that it would be nice to visit her family once again. I had heard Richard state several times in the passing years that he had no real desire to go home so I took the opportunity to return their love and kindness and offered to drive Bettie back if she so chose to do so. After several days of thinking and discussions about it, Bettie decided she would like to go. Richard made one condition to me; that he loved her so and I had to promise to bring her back.
Richard was stern, kind, loving and proud of his family and home with every right to be so. They had more impact in others lives than what they truly knew.
Original Posting
Richard Klingler, 86, of Livingston, passed away on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, at his home.
Cremation has taken place and services will be held at a later date.
Arrangements by Stenberg Funeral Home.
Richard was born and raised in Ohio like several generations of the Klingler Klan before him.
He served his country during World War II with a Naval Construction Battalion fighting in the Pacific Theater.
After the war he eventually went to work for Bendix; a spark plug manufacturer and later being known as Ford Autolite in Fostoria, Ohio; driving trucks where he met his future wife, Bettie.
Around the beginning of 1962 they packed a U-haul trailer and hitched it up to his Falcon station wagon then headed to California with Betties’ two boys; Donald and Dean; where they stayed with Betties’ brother; Richard; until he was able to secure employment and a home of their own. Here they started their new additions to the family, first with Deborah and then Kelly.
He went to work in the sand and gravel industry for Owens Illinois; a silica sand plant in Corona, where he maintained conveyors, crushing and assorted equipment. Many times as a child I road with my father to the plant to visit with him. It was hard work and expanded over many acres on both sides of; at that time called; the highway. It was here that in the late ‘60’s Richard sustained a back injury which plagued him throughout his life. In this era back surgeries was a thing for the future and the severity of the operation was not disclosed to the younger children but prior to the surgery Donald was brought home from serving a tour with the Army in Viet Nam by the Red Cross because the out come of the surgery was unknown. He never returned to work for the plant and gained employment with jobs of less physical demands.
Richard loved the outdoors and prior to his back injury, was involved with Donald and Dean in the Boy Scouts making many backpacking adventures with the troop. One story he was amused with telling was that on one such week trip into the High Sierra Mountains he carried in his pack, candies which he would use for the sugar energy. The kids would all ask for him to share with them and he would refuse stating they needed to carry their own; not trying to be mean but to impress on them the idea that they needed to learn to literally carry their own weight (supplies). During one of the nights a bear came into the camp and tore his backpack apart getting after the candy. The following day, not wanting a repeat of the night before, Richard tried giving what was left of the candy to the kids to use it up and they wanted nothing to do with it.
At some point the country boy showed through and he began to raise rabbits in his backyard of his residential home which he sold. I do not know if this was for a financial venture or just a hobby; at times he had many of them.
The home they bought was one street over from the first house we had lived in when we first arrived in California in 1960 so we already knew most of the children living in the neighborhood and spent many weekends back and fourth with our cousins. Richard and Bettie were always fair but required that if we were going to partake we would also be required to contribute. This was accomplished through yard work, cleaning the dishes or other house work; nothing to difficult and probably more to just start teaching us some responsibilities. On one such weekend, Friday afternoon all the friends in the neighborhood decided to meet at the school yard the next day to play baseball. Saturday rolled around and we were ready to head there when we were told we had to pull some weeds before we could go play. I do not remember the number but it was so many large grocery bags full of weeds before we could go play. We all started complaining and Richard would just chuckle and let it be known that the longer it took the less time we had to play. Once started one of us devised a plan and in no time we had the required number completed. We went in and let Richard know the task was completed and he seemed to know something was up. He went out to check and we did have what appeared to be the correct amount but he was still suspicious. After digging thru the bags he found that we had put 2 or 3 plastic gallon jugs in the bottom of the bags and just filled the tops with the weeds. He told us to complete filling the bags and then we could leave as he was walking away chuckling; he already knew who was going to win. When we were completed he said have fun. I never did see him or Bettie mad or angry and he usually had that chuckle. Thinking back through the years they were always loving and forgiving.
I believe it was 1970 – ’71; they again packed their belongings to move to find greener pastures in Montana. They established a home in a rental, searched out and purchased some small acreage of land and started to build their own home; where they remained the duration of their life.
Here Richard found employment driving trucks, working with the county in weed and mosquito control and others as well. He also served as a member of the board of directors for Park County Rural Fire No.1 in Livingston.
They continued to open their home to family and friends and I had made many trips there for visits. On one such visit in ’87, Bettie and I were speaking of the family left in Ohio; she had never returned there since she had left; the annual Crawford Reunion was approaching and I could see the longing in her that it would be nice to visit her family once again. I had heard Richard state several times in the passing years that he had no real desire to go home so I took the opportunity to return their love and kindness and offered to drive Bettie back if she so chose to do so. After several days of thinking and discussions about it, Bettie decided she would like to go. Richard made one condition to me; that he loved her so and I had to promise to bring her back.
Richard was stern, kind, loving and proud of his family and home with every right to be so. They had more impact in others lives than what they truly knew.
Original Posting
Richard Klingler, 86, of Livingston, passed away on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, at his home.
Cremation has taken place and services will be held at a later date.
Arrangements by Stenberg Funeral Home.
Richard was my uncle and I am writing this starting through the eyes of a child of about seven years old when he came into my life.
Richard was born and raised in Ohio like several generations of the Klingler Klan before him.
He served his country during World War II with a Naval Construction Battalion fighting in the Pacific Theater.
After the war he eventually went to work for Bendix; a spark plug manufacturer and later being known as Ford Autolite in Fostoria, Ohio; driving trucks where he met his future wife, Bettie.
Around the beginning of 1962 they packed a U-haul trailer and hitched it up to his Falcon station wagon then headed to California with Betties’ two boys; Donald and Dean; where they stayed with Betties’ brother; Richard; until he was able to secure employment and a home of their own. Here they started their new additions to the family, first with Deborah and then Kelly.
He went to work in the sand and gravel industry for Owens Illinois; a silica sand plant in Corona, where he maintained conveyors, crushing and assorted equipment. Many times as a child I road with my father to the plant to visit with him. It was hard work and expanded over many acres on both sides of; at that time called; the highway. It was here that in the late ‘60’s Richard sustained a back injury which plagued him throughout his life. In this era back surgeries was a thing for the future and the severity of the operation was not disclosed to the younger children but prior to the surgery Donald was brought home from serving a tour with the Army in Viet Nam by the Red Cross because the out come of the surgery was unknown. He never returned to work for the plant and gained employment with jobs of less physical demands.
Richard loved the outdoors and prior to his back injury, was involved with Donald and Dean in the Boy Scouts making many backpacking adventures with the troop. One story he was amused with telling was that on one such week trip into the High Sierra Mountains he carried in his pack, candies which he would use for the sugar energy. The kids would all ask for him to share with them and he would refuse stating they needed to carry their own; not trying to be mean but to impress on them the idea that they needed to learn to literally carry their own weight (supplies). During one of the nights a bear came into the camp and tore his backpack apart getting after the candy. The following day, not wanting a repeat of the night before, Richard tried giving what was left of the candy to the kids to use it up and they wanted nothing to do with it.
At some point the country boy showed through and he began to raise rabbits in his backyard of his residential home which he sold. I do not know if this was for a financial venture or just a hobby; at times he had many of them.
The home they bought was one street over from the first house we had lived in when we first arrived in California in 1960 so we already knew most of the children living in the neighborhood and spent many weekends back and fourth with our cousins. Richard and Bettie were always fair but required that if we were going to partake we would also be required to contribute. This was accomplished through yard work, cleaning the dishes or other house work; nothing to difficult and probably more to just start teaching us some responsibilities. On one such weekend, Friday afternoon all the friends in the neighborhood decided to meet at the school yard the next day to play baseball. Saturday rolled around and we were ready to head there when we were told we had to pull some weeds before we could go play. I do not remember the number but it was so many large grocery bags full of weeds before we could go play. We all started complaining and Richard would just chuckle and let it be known that the longer it took the less time we had to play. Once started one of us devised a plan and in no time we had the required number completed. We went in and let Richard know the task was completed and he seemed to know something was up. He went out to check and we did have what appeared to be the correct amount but he was still suspicious. After digging thru the bags he found that we had put 2 or 3 plastic gallon jugs in the bottom of the bags and just filled the tops with the weeds. He told us to complete filling the bags and then we could leave as he was walking away chuckling; he already knew who was going to win. When we were completed he said have fun. I never did see him or Bettie mad or angry and he usually had that chuckle. Thinking back through the years they were always loving and forgiving.
I believe it was 1970 – ’71; they again packed their belongings to move to find greener pastures in Montana. They established a home in a rental, searched out and purchased some small acreage of land and started to build their own home; where they remained the duration of their life.
Here Richard found employment driving trucks, working with the county in weed and mosquito control and others as well. He also served as a member of the board of directors for Park County Rural Fire No.1 in Livingston.
They continued to open their home to family and friends and I had made many trips there for visits. On one such visit in ’87, Bettie and I were speaking of the family left in Ohio; she had never returned there since she had left; the annual Crawford Reunion was approaching and I could see the longing in her that it would be nice to visit her family once again. I had heard Richard state several times in the passing years that he had no real desire to go home so I took the opportunity to return their love and kindness and offered to drive Bettie back if she so chose to do so. After several days of thinking and discussions about it, Bettie decided she would like to go. Richard made one condition to me; that he loved her so and I had to promise to bring her back.
Richard was stern, kind, loving and proud of his family and home with every right to be so. They had more impact in others lives than what they truly knew.
Original Posting
Richard Klingler, 86, of Livingston, passed away on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, at his home.
Cremation has taken place and services will be held at a later date.
Arrangements by Stenberg Funeral Home.
Richard was born and raised in Ohio like several generations of the Klingler Klan before him.
He served his country during World War II with a Naval Construction Battalion fighting in the Pacific Theater.
After the war he eventually went to work for Bendix; a spark plug manufacturer and later being known as Ford Autolite in Fostoria, Ohio; driving trucks where he met his future wife, Bettie.
Around the beginning of 1962 they packed a U-haul trailer and hitched it up to his Falcon station wagon then headed to California with Betties’ two boys; Donald and Dean; where they stayed with Betties’ brother; Richard; until he was able to secure employment and a home of their own. Here they started their new additions to the family, first with Deborah and then Kelly.
He went to work in the sand and gravel industry for Owens Illinois; a silica sand plant in Corona, where he maintained conveyors, crushing and assorted equipment. Many times as a child I road with my father to the plant to visit with him. It was hard work and expanded over many acres on both sides of; at that time called; the highway. It was here that in the late ‘60’s Richard sustained a back injury which plagued him throughout his life. In this era back surgeries was a thing for the future and the severity of the operation was not disclosed to the younger children but prior to the surgery Donald was brought home from serving a tour with the Army in Viet Nam by the Red Cross because the out come of the surgery was unknown. He never returned to work for the plant and gained employment with jobs of less physical demands.
Richard loved the outdoors and prior to his back injury, was involved with Donald and Dean in the Boy Scouts making many backpacking adventures with the troop. One story he was amused with telling was that on one such week trip into the High Sierra Mountains he carried in his pack, candies which he would use for the sugar energy. The kids would all ask for him to share with them and he would refuse stating they needed to carry their own; not trying to be mean but to impress on them the idea that they needed to learn to literally carry their own weight (supplies). During one of the nights a bear came into the camp and tore his backpack apart getting after the candy. The following day, not wanting a repeat of the night before, Richard tried giving what was left of the candy to the kids to use it up and they wanted nothing to do with it.
At some point the country boy showed through and he began to raise rabbits in his backyard of his residential home which he sold. I do not know if this was for a financial venture or just a hobby; at times he had many of them.
The home they bought was one street over from the first house we had lived in when we first arrived in California in 1960 so we already knew most of the children living in the neighborhood and spent many weekends back and fourth with our cousins. Richard and Bettie were always fair but required that if we were going to partake we would also be required to contribute. This was accomplished through yard work, cleaning the dishes or other house work; nothing to difficult and probably more to just start teaching us some responsibilities. On one such weekend, Friday afternoon all the friends in the neighborhood decided to meet at the school yard the next day to play baseball. Saturday rolled around and we were ready to head there when we were told we had to pull some weeds before we could go play. I do not remember the number but it was so many large grocery bags full of weeds before we could go play. We all started complaining and Richard would just chuckle and let it be known that the longer it took the less time we had to play. Once started one of us devised a plan and in no time we had the required number completed. We went in and let Richard know the task was completed and he seemed to know something was up. He went out to check and we did have what appeared to be the correct amount but he was still suspicious. After digging thru the bags he found that we had put 2 or 3 plastic gallon jugs in the bottom of the bags and just filled the tops with the weeds. He told us to complete filling the bags and then we could leave as he was walking away chuckling; he already knew who was going to win. When we were completed he said have fun. I never did see him or Bettie mad or angry and he usually had that chuckle. Thinking back through the years they were always loving and forgiving.
I believe it was 1970 – ’71; they again packed their belongings to move to find greener pastures in Montana. They established a home in a rental, searched out and purchased some small acreage of land and started to build their own home; where they remained the duration of their life.
Here Richard found employment driving trucks, working with the county in weed and mosquito control and others as well. He also served as a member of the board of directors for Park County Rural Fire No.1 in Livingston.
They continued to open their home to family and friends and I had made many trips there for visits. On one such visit in ’87, Bettie and I were speaking of the family left in Ohio; she had never returned there since she had left; the annual Crawford Reunion was approaching and I could see the longing in her that it would be nice to visit her family once again. I had heard Richard state several times in the passing years that he had no real desire to go home so I took the opportunity to return their love and kindness and offered to drive Bettie back if she so chose to do so. After several days of thinking and discussions about it, Bettie decided she would like to go. Richard made one condition to me; that he loved her so and I had to promise to bring her back.
Richard was stern, kind, loving and proud of his family and home with every right to be so. They had more impact in others lives than what they truly knew.
Original Posting
Richard Klingler, 86, of Livingston, passed away on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, at his home.
Cremation has taken place and services will be held at a later date.
Arrangements by Stenberg Funeral Home.
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