Clara E. (Blauner) Knippenberg, 1904–1988

Clara E. Blauner was born on 20 June 1904 in St. Louis, to John Jacob Blauner and Ida Schubert Blauner. She had an older sister, Ida Viola. An older brother, Walter, had died before the age of two, seven years before Clara was born. The family lived at 4218A Iowa Avenue, with Schubert relatives as neighbors. By 1925, the Blauners had moved into their home at 4528 S. Grand Boulevard.

In 1921, Clara graduated from Cleveland High School, where she had served as treasurer of the Anna Shaw Debating Society and participated in Cantanto and Spanish Club. That same year, she also received honors from the W. C. Mertens Pianoschule (piano school). In the 1920s, Clara played saxophone in an ensemble with other women musicians. Newspaper announcements from 1925 indicate that she played both piano and saxophone solos on radio station KFUO. This station’s first broadcast was on 26 October 1924 in association with Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.

Clara married Ludwig “Louis” Wilhelm Martin Knippenberg in November 1925. They had one daughter, Rhoda, born in 1927. At the time of the 1930 and 1940 censuses, Clara, her husband, and daughter lived with John Blauner at his Grand Boulevard home. In the 1930s, Louis and Clara were active with the St. Louis Cycling Club, and Clara participated in bicycle races. In 1940, Clara was elected president of the Scruggs School PTA. Clara and Louis divorced sometime in the 1940s. In 1950, Clara and Rhoda were living at 4519 S. Grand. At that time, Clara was working as a bookkeeper for a coal company, and Rhoda was a musician at a dance studio. Later in life, Clara lived at 4507 Rosa Avenue in St. Louis and played piano for dance classes.

Clara died on 9 September 1988 and was buried in New St. Marcus Cemetery in Affton, St. Louis County.

Written by Barbara Quigley, Clara’s great-niece
April 2025

© 2025, St. Louis Genealogical Society