Robert Justus Kleberg (September 10, 1803 – October 30, 1888), christened Johan Christian Justus Robert Kleberg, was a
German Texan from
Herstelle,
Westphalia, then part of the
Kingdom of Prussia. He was a veteran of the
Battle of San Jacinto[1] and the brother of
Louis Kleberg. He arrived in Texas in 1836 with his wife Philippine Sophie Rosalie "Rosa" von Roeder, who was a child of the at one-time aristocratic von Roeder family, which was allied with the wealthy and aristocratic Sack family of Nordrhein Westphalia. Robert and Rosa had eleven children, seven of whom lived to adulthood; Clara, Johanna, Caroline, Rudolph, Marcellus, and Robert II (commonly known simply as Robert).
He is the namesake of
Kleberg County, Texas.[2] His sons also achieved success. Rudolph Kleberg (1847-1924) became a United States congressman, Marcellus Kleberg (1849-1913) studied law and served as city attorney for Galveston, Texas, and the youngest Kleberg son, also named
Robert Justus Kleberg (1853-1932), managed the
King Ranch and later married Alice Gertrudis King, the youngest daughter of cattle baron Captain
Richard King.
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