Jan Kingery Clingenpeel

Jan Kingery Clingenpeel passed from this life to eternal life on July 5, 2024. Born in Logansport, Indiana on November 3, 1946, he was the only living child of Gus and Betty (Kingery) Clingenpeel. He spoke fondly about his childhood on the family farm between Russiaville and Burlington, IN. He spent his childhood playing in the barn, hunting in the fields and woods and fishing in the creek. In high school, he played football and baseball, earning the Scholastic Honor Roll Athletic Award. He also had the lead in the musical plays Anything Goes and Meet Me in St. Louis and was Homecoming King and president of his junior and senior class. It was during his high school days that Kingery was called to ministry and attended and graduated from Kentucky Christian University in 1969. 

He then moved to Lincoln, Illinois, to attend Lincoln Christian Seminary. It was there he met the love of his life, Laura (Baker), in 1970. Kingery studied one semester in Strasbourg, France. After graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1973, Kingery enrolled in Phillips Graduate Seminary in Enid, OK. studying for his Doctor of Ministry. During this time, he served as minister of the Avard Christian Church. He then served as Associate minister at Southwest Christian Church in OK City. It was during this ministry that Kingery and Laura became engaged. Wanting to be closer to Laura and his family, he accepted a call to the Kouts Indiana Christian Church in Nov. 1974 and enrolled at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. 

Kingery and Laura were married July 26, 1975 and settled into the parsonage in Kouts for a 13 year ministry. Kingery earned his Doctor of Ministry Degree in 1983. During this ministry, the church had an all-time record attendance of 303. It was during the years in Kouts that children Rebekah and Caleb were born. Kingery served as chaplain and treasurer of Kouts Volunteer Fire Dept. He also became a licensed pilot. He served as dean of First Chance Camp at Lake Region Christian Assembly for many years and coached baseball and softball teams for Rebekah and Caleb. 

In 1987 the family was called to serve Central Christian Church in Battle Creek, Michigan. This ministry lasted 10 years and saw the construction of a new church building. This building became debt-free in 7 years. At the conclusion of this ministry, the family moved to Edwardsburg, MI where Kingery qualified in investments and 401k accounts. He passed Series 6, 65, 3 and 7. 

Four years later the family moved back to Battle Creek when Laura’s teaching job became full time. Kingery accepted the call of First Christian Church, where he would serve for the next 20 years. He concluded 50 years of full time pulpit ministry in Dec. 2019. Fremont Christian Church asked for him to become their interim minister, which he did for one year. 

Kingery enjoyed many outdoor hobbies, including hunting and fishing. He was a licensed pilot, Advance Master Gardener thru MSU, North Country Trail Adopter, and Appalachian Mountain Club member. For two different summers he did trail construction in Acadia National Park in Maine. He volunteered for Picture Perfect in BC where inner city children got to experience hiking in the woods and taking photos of wildlife. In 2011 he was asked by President Jimmy Carter to give the opening prayer for his Sunday School class in Plains, Georgia. 

Kingery loved the mountains. During his life he climbed 65 mountains, from Mt. Healy in Denali National Park, Alaska, to Cadillac Mountain and Katahdin in Maine to Mt. Washington in NH. He was especially proud of summiting Mt. Washington seven times. His last summit was just before his 66th birthday. For his 70th birthday, he hired a guide to take him rock climbing in Red Rock Canyon Recreation Area near Las Vegas. He also loved the desert, visiting Death Valley National Park and Joshua Tree National Park many times. He was thrilled to take Laura on hiking trips to the places he loved and share these beautiful destinations with his wife. 

But his greatest enjoyment came from his family: Laura, his children and grandchildren. Kingery and Laura were married for 48 years. They were blessed with daughter Rebekah (Aaron) of Charlotte, MI and son Caleb (Cara) of Brooklyn, MI. He was Grandpa to Jacey, Dawson, Ryleigh, Jonah, Tanner, Ellie, and Eva Jan. He loved being the “monster” to wake the kids just after they got to sleep. He always had a great sense of humor. 

The family will receive friends 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Cremation Preneed Care, Battle Creek where a memorial service to celebrate Kingery's life will be held 11:00 a.m., Thursday, July 11, 2024. The service will be Live-streamed and may be viewed at https://vimeo.com/event/4436327. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/). Personal messages for the family and favorite memories of Kingery may be placed here at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.