‘Have a good day, every day’

Pendleton icon Paul Klee Sr. kept companies well stocked

  • Church was always a top priority for the Klees, shown here at their parish at St. Agnes in Fort Wright. Previously, they were longstanding members of St. Francis Xavier Church in Falmouth, where they were married Jan. 15, 1949. The Klees celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary a month before Paul’s passing on Feb. 20. Photo courtesy of Marianne Roseberry.
    Church was always a top priority for the Klees, shown here at their parish at St. Agnes in Fort Wright. Previously, they were longstanding members of St. Francis Xavier Church in Falmouth, where they were married Jan. 15, 1949. The Klees celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary a month before Paul’s passing on Feb. 20. Photo courtesy of Marianne Roseberry.
  • Margie and Paul Klee, seated, pose with their 10 children, standing in birth order from youngest on the left, Bill, Maureen, Marjorie, Marianne, Alan, Kent, Marilyn, Vince, Paula, and Nancy. Paul and Margie celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary a month before Paul’s passing on Feb. 20. Photo courtesy of Marianne Roseberry.
    Margie and Paul Klee, seated, pose with their 10 children, standing in birth order from youngest on the left, Bill, Maureen, Marjorie, Marianne, Alan, Kent, Marilyn, Vince, Paula, and Nancy. Paul and Margie celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary a month before Paul’s passing on Feb. 20. Photo courtesy of Marianne Roseberry.

By Nila Harris

 

FALMOUTH — “Have a good day, every day” was a saying that Paul Vincent Klee Sr. liked to say to his children, extended family and friends in the 97 years of his life.

The family chose to pass out rubber bracelets with this saying after Klee passed away Feb. 20.

Paul Klee was born and raised in Pendleton County. As a graduate of Falmouth High School class of 1944, he was the last living classmate.

Klee had kept in touch with his school chums over the years before they passed, often calling them to catch up on PC happenings. Although he had moved to Fort Wright, he had maintained Pendleton County connections and enjoyed talking to and visiting with old friends.

Klee owned and operated Klee Wholesale Company, providing wholesale tobacco and candies to businesses in Pendleton, Grant, Bracken, Campbell and Kenton County.

He and his wife, Margie, bought the business in 1964 from W. C. Aulick. Operating out of a big box truck, Klee would go around to stores, see what they needed, come to the truck, get the supplies and bring them in.

At that time, the places “had about 10 different types of cigarettes and tobacco,” Marianne Klee Roseberry said. Roseberry laughingly told how the company even had a mascot — a Dalmatian who loved Snickers candy bars and visiting the neighbors.

Klee’s first location was on Montjoy Street where the modern-day Gedge Workshop is located.

Needing a bigger warehouse, Klee had a building constructed on Highway 27, close to Fifth Third Bank, and eventually built another warehouse next to it. At that time, the Klees lived nearby on Elm Street.

Working and raising a family of 10 children was rewarding but challenging for Klee, yet he made it work.

“He came home at 6 to have dinner with us, then back to work. Sometimes after school, we would be there with him,” said Roseberry, who is number seven in the birth order.

Running the business was a family affair. Margie kept the books, and all the children worked in the business at some point. The younger children would stack shelves and stamp cigarettes. The older ones would fill orders.

Roseberry mentioned that there were lots of great workers over the years, including Charlie Doutaz and Alton Elrod, who came to work for Klee after retirement from other jobs. Other solid employees included Joe Price, Steve Harper, Glen Craddock, Dan and David Klaber, Ryan Shields, David Wyatt, Roger and Jeff McElfresh, Ernie Colvin, Nathan Roseberry, Lisa Jones and Sarah McCoy.

The business soon outgrew its Falmouth buildings.  Klee purchased a building in Newport.

He needed a place where it was easy to get big trucks in and out.

He had bought a trucking company, Craig’s Express, while still in Falmouth. In the 1970s-2000s, it was often difficult to get goods delivered to Falmouth. Having their own trucking company for transport helped remedy this problem.

The Klees frequently delivered to Fuller’s and Dr. Scholl’s, two Falmouth businesses which have since closed. Klee Wholesale Company closed in 2010.

A good part of his distribution meant forming relationships with his clients. Klee enjoyed going around the communities and talking with customers.

After he closed his business, a couple of his sons branched off and ran businesses of their own. The oldest son, Vincent, sometimes took his father around on “road trips” as he delivered goods. The elder Klee seemed to relish those trips, according to his niece Mary Hillenmeyer.

But life with the Klees was more than work. Klee enjoyed playing euchre, a love of the game that was handed down to him by his mother, Sallie. The Klees even had their own set of Euchre Rules, something which was posted in each household where they played, according to Hillemeyer.

They were also very active in their parish, St. Francis Xavier Church, attending and giving financially regularly.

Paul and Margie Klee were married 75 years, and their love for each other was passed down to their children who remain a close-knit family. Despite its ever-expanding size to include 105 members, the siblings keep in touch through a texting thread and Zoom.

“We send pictures, text, and pray for each other,” Roseberry said.

And as a reminder from Paul Klee, “Have a good day, every day.”