Danny Allen Klinefelter

Danny Allen Klinefelter was born April 5^th, 1947, in Taylorville, Illinois. He passed after 76 wonderful and influential years of life on July 24th, 2023, in College Station, Texas.

Danny grew up on his family’s farm in Illinois with his parents Allen and Aldine, and two younger brothers, Lynn and Skip Klinefelter. He developed a love of agriculture from a very young age that would last his entire life. He was a man with a great passion for learning and earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University. More impressively, he went on to earn his masters and his PhD at the University of Illinois, all while raising his four precious daughters.

Danny was a titan of American agriculture and considered his greatest achievement to be The Executive Program for Agriculture Producers (TEPAP) which many have described as life changing. He was also an author, a speaker, and an Honors Professor at Texas A&M University. He was also a Regents Fellow, as well as an Extension Economist Emeritus. Among his many accomplishments he was also granted the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, which you can still find hanging in his office. Furthermore, he was named one of the top 25 most influential people in American agriculture, alongside various other world leaders in the industry.  While he had a passion for teaching, he also cared deeply for his students, many of which have remained lifelong friends. He was even known to welcome them into his home for the holidays, caring for them as if they were his own. He believed his purpose in life was to make a difference and to make his mark in this world.  He certainly did this in every way that counts.

Danny was married at 17 and spent 58 wonderful years with the love of his life, Vicki Diann Jostes Klinefelter. Their deep love for one another was paramount to anything Nicholas Sparks or Jane Austin could ever conjure.

He is survived by his four beautiful daughters and four sons-in-law: Christine and Jeff, Julie and Brian, Carol and Darrell, and Patty and Nathan. His legacy of faith and love will be carried on by his nine grandchildren that were the light of his life and two great grandchildren that brought him immense joy in his last few years.

Danny was a shining light to all those who crossed his path. The kind of light that could illuminate any darkness and put a big smile on your face. He was a man that made the little kids laugh during a quiet church service and then proceed to cut in front of them to get to the food line. He was a man that always had a joke and a hug, not to mention the most perfect hand to hold or shoulder to cry on. He was wise beyond belief and always had the words of wisdom you never knew you needed to hear. He was an honest man, sometimes to a fault, but he would never leave you wondering. He was a man who valued a hard day’s work, a man who valued strength and stood firm to his beliefs no matter how shaky the ground became. He was a man who was patient, a man who was kind, and a man who loved others and was loved back just as fiercely. He was the kind of man you can never do justice with just words on a page. Knowing him was one of the greatest blessings in life and to be loved by him was to be cared for more deeply than one could ever imagine. He was a man who loved God and loved his people. He will be missed every day, but his legacy, his work, and his impact on the world will live on forever.

Services will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, August 4, 2023 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1200 Foxfire Drive, College Station, TX  77845. Visitation preceding the service will begin at 9:00 AM and lunch to follow at noon.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation can be made to:

Holy Cross Lutheran Learning Center
1590 Sebesta Rd.
College Station, TX 77845