James D. Kleopfer

James Dale Kleopfer, Sr., 93, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2017 in Paola, Kansas. Dale was born on August 27, 1923 in Jefferson County, Indiana to Elmer and Ethel Craigmyle Kleopfer. His family moved to a farm near Lexington, Scott County, Indiana around 1934. He married Earlene Milles on January 4, 1942 and they had 3 sons, Jim, Robert, and Gary. Dale enlisted in the Army Air Force after he graduated from high school. He served our nation during World War II and received six bronze stars for the Battle of Normandy, the Northern France Campaign, the Rhineland Campaign, the Central Europe Campaign, the Ardennes Offensive, and the Air Offensive Europe. After the war Dale and Earlene operated a farm just outside of Lexington, Indiana and they later had a feed store in Lexington. After their family was raised they moved to Florida where Earlene worked at a bank and Dale worked as a fisherman in St. Petersburg. They next retired to Slidell, Louisiana before moving to Lawrence, Kansas in 2001 to be near their son, Robert. In 2015 they sold their home in Lawrence and moved to Paola, Kansas. Surviving are his wife of 75 years, Earlene Milles Kleopfer; his sons Jim of Lexington, Robert and wife Cindy of Paola, and Gary and wife Anita of Tucson, Arizona; brothers John of Lexington and Louis of Hanover, Indiana; grandchildren, Robin Grant of Fulton, Maryland, Jennifer Wiley of Parkville, Missouri, and Angie Rupp of Tucson; great grandchildren, Nick, Regan, Sydney, and Ty Grant, Jacob and Grace Anne Wiley, and Emma Rupp. Dale was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers, Reggie and Kenneth Kleopfer. A memorial service will be held in Lexington at a later time. To share a memory of James or to leave a condolence message for his family, please click the Share Memories tab.