Robert J. Kleberg

{{short description|German Texan}}

{{for|his son, the manager of the King Ranch|Robert J. Kleberg (King Ranch)}}

{{Texas History}}

Robert Justus Kleberg (September 10, 1803{{spaced ndash}}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[http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/kleberg.htm Texas A&M University on Kleberg Family] 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.{{Cite web|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hck10|title = TSHA | Kleberg County}} 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.