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Nicolaus J. Klein was born in Johnsburg in 1885, one of nine children of John and Barbara Klein. In 1908, he and his older brother, Joe, purchased Nick Etten’s blacksmith shop at 7711 Blivin Street for $2,000 and Nick began blacksmithing. Blacksmiths forged iron and steel into objects like gates, grills, wagon parts and tools.
In 1915, he married Mary Katherine Retterath from Stacyville, Iowa. He was 30 and she was 21 and they were both of German descent. Mary moved to Spring Grove and they lived in the house next door at 7713 Blivin. They had two children, Dorothy, born in 1916 and Edwin, born in 1920.
In 1921, Nick began manufacturing portable feed grinders which saved farmers from frequent trips to the grist mill because feed could be ground right at the farm. Prospective buyers of Klein’s feed grinders were invited to the shop to observe the care and skill with which they were constructed. He employed several men and would also go from farm to farm with the feed grinders on the back of a truck and grind feed for farmers.
In 1930 Nick had a new modern brick garage built where the blacksmith shop stood. His new building was called Nick's Garage and he worked as a mechanic.
Nick had a bad heart and died of a stroke in 1952 at the age of 67. Son Edwin, who was a Army Sgt. First Class was almost not able to be at the funeral services. He was already on the gang plank boarding a ship for Alaska when he received word of his father’s death. Many relatives from Iowa and Minnesota were also present at the funeral. After Nick’s death Mary spent three months with her daughter, Dorothy, who lived in Chicago.
When she came back, Mary rented the garage to Art Nimsgern for his business, Sunnyside Heating and Cooling. The name was in reference to that section of town, south of the Nippersink Creek, which was called Sunnyside. The part of town north of the Creek was always known as Shadyside.
Mary lived until the age 88 and she and Nick are buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery.
Story by Laura Frumet
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