In loving memory

Clemens Mathias Kloeckner
May 7, 1914 – May 22, 2003
Riley Township, Clinton County

The toil is over and night has fallen.
The heart that gave so much is still,
The hands that worked so hard no longer ache,
And the feet that walked so many miles are now at rest.

‘Farmer’s Creed’

I believe a person’s greatest possession is their dignity and that no calling bestows this more abundantly than farming.
I believe hard work and honest sweat are the building blocks of a person’s character.
I believe that farming, despite its hardships and disappointments, is the most honest and honorable way a person can spend their days on this earth.
I believe that many of the best things in life are indeed free: the splendor of a sunrise; the rapture of wide open spaces; the exhilarating sight of your land greening each spring.
I believe that true happiness comes from watching your crops ripen in the field, your children grow tall in the sun, your whole family feel the pride that springs from their shared experience.
I believe that by my toil I am giving more to the world than I am taking from it, an honor that does not come to all people.
I believe my life will be measured ultimately by what I have done for my fellowman, and by this standard I fear no judgment.
I believe when a person grows old and sums up their days, they should be able to stand tall and feel pride in the life they’ve lived.
I believe in farming because it makes all this possible.