A veteran of the US Civil War and his wife were interred in the Missouri State Veterans’ Cemetery in Jacksonville.

John Kling served as a private on the side of the Union. He died in 1918, followed in 1923 by his wife Elizabeth. The couple’s remains were unclaimed for 87 years until the Missing in America Project confirmed his status as a veteran, making Friday’s service possible.

Executive Director of the Missouri Veterans’ Commission Larry Kay spoke at the ceremony, and said he hoped the Klings could finally be at rest.

The Missing in America Project has started an “Adopt a Veteran” program, and John Kling was adopted by Michael Yoshida; himself a veteran.  

John Kling is the first Civil War veteran claimed by the Missing in America Project, nationwide, and is the first to be interred in the Jacksonville Cemetery.

For more information on the Missing in America Project and adopting a veteran, contact National Coordinator Linda Smith.