LIVESTREAM SERVICE:

Jim's Livestream Service will begin at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, August 9, 2025. Scroll down to the Webcast section and click on “Watch Now.”

MARSHALL - Anthony James “Jim” Klinkner, age 75, of Marshall, passed away at 12:34 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at St. Mary's Hospital - which also happens to be where he was born. As he passed from this life to the next, he was surrounded by his family, all decked out in Badgers apparel, and listening to George Harrison, Nat King Cole, and Roy Orbison.

He was born on October 19, 1949, in his beloved Madison, the son of Anthony and Hattie (Miller) Klinkner. Jim was a proud graduate of Madison Central High School - class of 1967. A jack of many trades, he worked at Madison Newspapers, the State of Wisconsin, and finally at Royle Printing for 31 years until his retirement in 2009. Growing up, Dad had no idea where his career path would take him, but his dream job was to be a father.

In August of 1968, Dad attended a house party in Madison and saw a beautiful woman across the room. For him, it was love at first sight, and they have been together ever since. He and Shirley Anderson were united in marriage on May 24, 1969, in Stoughton, and he often said that was the day his life began. Not long after the wedding, their first child, Anthony James II (another aka Jim) was born, followed by Kimberly a few years later. The night of her birth, Mom went into labor at home and was waiting for Dad to get back from work before going to the hospital. She waited and waited (remember, cell phones didn’t exist back then). When Dad finally got home hours later, it turned out that he had been helping a drunk man who had escaped from one of the nearby nursing homes. After Dad got him back to his home, they ended up having a lengthy conversation. That was just the type of man he was - he could make a friend out of anyone.

After a bit, the family expanded with the birth of their third child, Christopher, who was followed by Amanda within a year. Dad was incredible at his dream job - he always made a point of attending all of our school concerts, plays, recitals, and sporting events. He was involved in Kennedy Little League all the way from the mid-70s to the late 2000s. He loved watching his children play baseball and softball. For many years, he coached his son’s baseball teams and could still remember every single kid he coached all these years later. Dad always loved having his kids’ friends around, and the house on Ellen Avenue eventually became known as the Klinkner Party House. He welcomed everyone with open arms, and was such a sentimentalist that he would take pictures of the pile of the shoes next to the front door.

Dad was an avid sports fan and was a season ticket holder for the Wisconsin Badgers football, basketball, and hockey teams for many decades. On Saturdays in the fall, you could find him at the Gentilli tailgate on Madison Street with friends and family - including John and Brian Maggelet, his eldest son’s in-laws. You could also find him cheering for the Chicago White Sox, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Packers, and the Bucks with his daughter, Kimberly and her partner, Vaughn. After his grandkids were born, he enjoyed traveling to their sporting events (rarely missing a game) and learning about karate, track, and soccer along the way. He looked forward to hunting with his sons and grandsons on his land in Westfield, Wis., and they would stay over in the cabin that Dad built himself.

Dad was generous and selfless, putting everyone over himself, especially his wife, children, and grandchildren. As he frequently said, “I’m old school” and "that's the way I was raised." He worried about his family right to the very end - one of the last things he told us was to “not speed in Cottage Grove or Marshall.” And he had never met a stranger - if he was talking to someone he’d never met, you’d swear they’d known each other for years.

Dad is survived by our mother - his bride of 56 years, Shirley; sons, Jim (Donna) Klinkner and Chris (Jenna Klinner) Klinkner; daughters, Kimberly (Vaughn Klein) Graf and Amanda (Nick Adam) Klinkner; grandchildren, Jakeb Graf, Alex Klinkner and Evan Klinkner; brother, Dennis (Ruth) McDowell; sister, Joan O'Neill; brother-in-law, Bruce Anderson; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He also had a special place in his heart for his grandpups: Gunther, Bentley, Vinny, Obi, and Martha. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hattie and Tony; brother, Thomas (Lois) McDowell; sisters, LaVonne (Elmer) Hornburg and Karen McDowell; infant brothers, Michael McDowell and Gene McDowell; father-in-law, Bruce Anderson; mother-in-law, Carrie Anderson; and sister-in-law, Ellen Agerbak-Anderson.

Our family would like to extend some thanks to Dad’s care team. First, the entire team on the 8th SW floor of St. Mary’s hospital, including but not limited to: Dr. Hoffman - who guided Dad through to the next life; Dr. Hobson - who helped develop the most compassionate plan possible for his transition; Dr. Wilson - who was an incredible source of support during Dad’s final days; and of course, his nursing team: Semone, Carly, Amanda, and everyone else who made Dad comfortable at the end. And a special thank you to his housekeeper Tracey, who was a constant source of comfort and joy during such a dark time. Additional thanks go to Dr. Mullvain, Dad’s oncologist; Dr. Gehlbach, his pulmonary doctor; and Dr. Lentfer, his primary care physician.

A celebration of life will be held at MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH, 5202 Cottage Grove Road, Madison, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 9, 2025, with Pastor Jeff Vanden Heuvel presiding and with a luncheon to follow. Visitation will be held at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday. All are welcome to attend Jim’s celebration of life and luncheon. And since Dad hated dressing up, per his request, please wear sports apparel or casual wear. Family and friends who wish to view the service via LIVESTREAM may visit Jim’s obituary page at www.gundersonfh.com at the time of the service and click on “Watch Now” in the Webcast section.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be gifted in Jim’s honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

We love you, Papa. You led by example, and we will honor you by trying to live the way you did.

Gunderson East
Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Drive
(608) 221-5420

Anthony James Klinkner

October 19, 1949 - July 26, 2025

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