HENRY KLEHM
Henry Klehm was born in Arlington Heights on January 18, 1870, to John and Elizabeth (nee Stitz) Klehm. His father John started a nursery business in 1856 that began with fruit trees but expanded into roses, potted plants and cut flowers.
As a youngster, Henry worked for his father, along with his two brothers, George and Charles. Henry is said to be the discoverer of the Moline elm while working in the nursery business in Moline, Illinois. He married Pauline Steuenkel on September 25, 1898, and they had four children: Gilbert, Elmer, Vera Klehm O’Keefe and Harvey. Henry served as mayor of Arlington Heights from 1905 to 1907. In 1925, he was one of the commissioners who formed the Arlington Heights Park District. During the ten years before his death, he operated a propagating nursery in Virginia, supplying other nurserymen with seedlings.
He died July 4, 1941, at the home of his son, Gilbert, in Arlington Heights. At the time, Gilbert was a Wheeling Township Supervisor.
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