by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
A night of remembrance will be held to honor a St. Joseph police officer who was killed in the line of duty 20 years ago today.
Brian Klinefelter, 25, was killed Jan. 29, 1996 after stopping a suspected getaway vehicle from an armed robbery in Albany containing three individuals. Authorities say the driver of the pickup, Thomas Kantor, shot and killed Klinefelter at CR 133 and 75. Officers caught up to Kantor later that night in Sauk Rapids, where he was killed by a Benton County Sheriff’s Deputy. Kantor’s two accomplices led officers on a chase through part of St. Cloud before they were arrested.
The night of remembrance will be held at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29 at La Playette Bar, 19 College Ave. N., St. Joseph, and is hosted by the Brian Klinefelter Foundation. The event is also a fundraiser for the foundation, and there will be live music from DiamondBack.
Wendy Klinefelter Tragiai, Klinefelter’s widow who has remarried, said many family members of Klinefelter’s will be in attendance, including: Wendy, her husband John Tragiai, Wendy and Brian’s daughter Katelyn Klinefelter Tragiai along with Wendy and John’s children Jack and Elise; parents, Dave and Lois Klinefelter; brother Greg Klinefelter, wife Jen, and children Noah, Luke, Sophie, Chloe and Josh; brother Jason Klinefelter, wife Angie and children Hannah, Andrew and Elizabeth; and sister Sarah Klinefelter and children Austin and Kiana Grundhoefer.
Family
Wendy remarried in July of 2000 to John Tragiai. John adopted Katelyn in the same year and they now live in Sartell.
“Katelyn grew up knowing all bout Brian. We are very close to Brian’s family, taking yearly vacations with them and getting together at least once per month,” Wendy said in a Newsleader interview. “She feels blessed to have two dads . . . one here, and one in heaven!”
Wendy feels like Klinefelter is still a part of their lives, and that his memory has not faded.
“Brian is present in so many ways . . . I love that Klinefelter Park is such a vibrant part of the St. Joseph community. I love that even 20 years later, we continue to support area youth and law enforcement through the foundation. I love walking through the front door of our store in St. Cloud (KEEPRS), seeing his face, and knowing others see it too.
Wendy said Katelyn has considered pursuing law enforcement, she is currently planning a career working with children. She is a sophomore at Minnesota State University-Mankato, where she is majoring in childhood development and family studies.
Book
A new book delving into the details of the night Klinefelter was killed, as well as what his family has been doing during the past 20 years is now out. It is written by Andy Marso and is titled The Klinefelter Legacy.
“Andy approached us about a year ago looking to do this project,” Wendy said. “He was going to use public records for most of it, but asked if we would like to be involved. Our involvement has been personal interviews, as well as reviewing the book before publication.”
Wendy said Marso was a stranger to them before he reached out in 2015.
Foundation
The Brian Klinefelter Foundation was formed about a decade after Klinefelter’s death.
“The original seed money came from community donations, as well as from Ted Deikel of Fingerhut,” Wendy said. “Since then, we have done various fundraisers. We currently have one fundraiser per year in the form of a golf tournament.”
This year will be the 13th annual golf tournament, which is held in July in Sartell.
Money raised from the golf tournament and other fundraisers goes toward scholarships and grants.
The Brian Klinefelter Memorial Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship awarded to a student pursuing law enforcement at Alexandria Technical and Community College, where Klinefelter graduated from. The Brian Klinefelter Family Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship which goes to a child of a local public safety official who will go on to college. Three grants per year are also handed out. Last year, the grants totaled more than $5,000 all together.
“The grants are geared toward groups who fit our mission of connecting youth with adults. We have sponsored police departments, church groups, educational programming and most recently a grant for the new YMCA being built in St. Cloud,” Wendy said.
Information on the foundation and how to apply for scholarships or grants can be found online at growgreat.s424.sureserver.com.
KEEPRS
In 1999, Wendy, along with Klinefelter’s two brothers Jason and Greg opened a law enforcement supply store in St. Cloud which they named after him: KEEPRS Inc. (Klinfelter’s Enforcement and Emergency Product, Resource and Supply Inc.)
“One of the greatest blessings in the past 20 years has been the ways Brian’s family ‘adopted’ me into their fold. I am so grateful to be a part of this incredible family,” Wendy said. “Being in business together has brought its own challenges, no doubt. But I wouldn’t want to share this journey with anybody else!”
They wanted to serve all law-enforcement officers and stay connected to those officers who provided needed support to the family after Klinefelter’s death. His duty belt and badge are kept in a display in the store.
Wendy graduated with a degree in criminal justice, has numerous years of experience in retail sales, and now is the president of KEEPRS. Both Jason and Greg were reserve officers with the St. Cloud Police Department. Jason has become the director of sales and marketing for KEEPRS.
The store, as well as one in St. Paul and another in Athens, Georgia, sells police uniforms, body armor, firearms, ammunition and other equipment.
Wendy, Brian and Katelyn took this family photo together between November 1995, when Katelyn was born, and January 1996, when Brian was killed in the line of duty.
Officer Brian Klinefelter snuggles his daughter Katelyn while in uniform. Katelyn was only 2 months old when her father was killed in the line of duty.
