John Kiene is one of the younger men in the educational affairs of the state and is principal of the high school at Madison. Mr. Kiene is broadly and liberally educated, and had a practical knowledge that comes not from books alone.
He was born on a farm at Valencia, Kansas, December 30, 1893. His father is Mr. F. A. Kiene, a well known citizen of Shawnee County now living on his farm near Topeka. He was born in 1834 in Alsace Lorraine, France, but in 1846, as a boy of twelve, was brought to America by his parents, who located at Pandora, Ohio, where he grew up and marrled. His entire career had been identified with agricultural activities. Coming to Kanaas in 1881, he located on a farm near Topeka, and as a Kansas farmer had gained financial independence. During his early years he won credit for himself as a soldier of the Union. He enlisted in 1861 in the Nineteenth Ohio Infantry, fought in the great battles of Shiloh, Five Forks and Chickamauga, and was in active service until wounded at the battle of South Mountain. In politics he had always supported the republican party, and is a member of the Congregational Church. Mr. F. A. Kiene married Miss Rose C. Doriot. She was born in 1846 in France, twenty miles from the boundary of Alsace-Lorraine. They have a large family of children, several of whom are honored and useful citizens of Kansas. L. L. Kiene, the oldest of the family, is now serving as sheriff of Shawnee County with offices at Topeka. Emma is the wife of W. W. Harris, who is conneeted with the Sants Fe Railway offices in Topeka. Carl S. is a loeomotivs engineer living at Shreveport, Louisiana. Guy is a wholesale merehant at Valencia, Kansas. Julian is a locomotive engineer with the Slanta Fe and with headquarters st Chillicothe, Illinois. Albert is a farmer near Topeka. Otto is a physician and surgeon, residing at Concordia, Kansas. F. A. Kiene, Jr., is a government cereal investlgator with home at Haya, Kansas. Rose Clem is the wife of Ernest Longaker, a carpenter at Topeka. Ray is a farmer at Valencia.
John Kiene, the youngest of the family, was educated in the rural schbols of Shawnee County. He finished his high school course in Manhattan, and in the fall of 1916 graduated with the degree Bachelor of Science from the State Agricultural College at Manhattan. Mr. Kiene entered upon his duties as principal of the high school at Madison in September, 1916.
He is a member of the Kansas State Teachers’ Association, the National Educational Association, and belongs to the American Society of Agronomy. Fraternally he is identified with Silver Lake Lodge No. 19, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Silver Lake, Kansas.