DR. JAMES KINDER

Dr. James A. Kinder Jr., a longtime Cape Girardeau physician, volunteer and community leader, died in an automobile accident near Cartersville, Ga., July 1, 2000.

Dr. Kinder was born Aug. 29, 1917, in Cape Girardeau, the son of James and Ella Bohnsack Kinder. He was educated in Cape public schools, graduating as the valedictorian of the Central High School class of 1933 at the age of 15. As a boy, and throughout his life, Kinder was active in Boy Scouts and attained the rank of Eagle.

After two years at Southeast Missouri State Teachers College, Kinder finished his undergraduate training at Washington University in St. Louis, earning his degree in 1937 at the age of 19. He received his M.D. degree from the same institution in 1941 at the age of 23. That year he entered an internship at the old St. Louis City Hospital.

With the outbreak of World War II Dr. Kinder entered the U.S. Army in June 1942 and was assigned to the Air Corps. Commissioned a lieutenant, he served the years 1943-45 as a flight surgeon in the China-Burma-India theater, assigned to the 14th Air Force, Chinese-American Composite Wing. His wartime service saw him promoted to the rank of captain. He was awarded the U.S. Air Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars, and the Breast Order of Tao Ping from the Chinese government.

Throughout his life the ties he forged during the war years remained dear to him, and he was active in the 14th Air Force Association, attending countless of its reunions and organizing and hosting many for the squadrons in which he served. These included one last year, hosted at his home. In 1981 he traveled with his wife to Taiwan as guests of that nation's government, where he and his wartime compatriots were feted as honored guests.

Upon discharge from active duty in 1946, Dr. Kinder completed a residency in pediatrics at St. Louis City Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital in 1946-47. He opened a practice in pediatrics in Cape Girardeau in January 1948. In 1950 he passed the board exams for pediatrics, becoming a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1951. This made him one of the first two board-certified physicians in Cape, and for many years he was the only board-certified pediatrician between St. Louis and Memphis. He joined with other physicians and health-care personnel in battling the polio epidemic of 1948-49.

After four years in the Army Reserve, Kinder transferred his commission to the Naval Reserve in 1950, serving continuously until his retirement in 1976 with the rank of captain, U.S. Navy Medical Corps.

On Oct. 30, 1948, he married the former Mary Frances Hunter of Cape Girardeau, who survives. Together they had four sons, James A. Kinder III of Cairo, Ill., Frank M. Kinder of Southlake, Texas, Peter D. Kinder of Cape Girardeau and Maj. Mark H. Kinder of Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and nine grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister, Mary Helen Kinder Flentge of Cape.

Dr. Kinder's civic and voluntary associations were many. They include serving as board member of the Cape County Heart Association and as a board member of the American Heart Association, Missouri affiliate, for over 30 years, and as president of the same in 1964-65. He was awarded the M. Graham Clark Award by the American Heart Association in 1991.

Dr. Kinder also served on the boards of the state and local Easter Seals, the United Way, the Missouri Crippled Children's Service and on the board of trustees of Southeast Missouri Hospital.

In the 1970s Dr. Kinder was instrumental in recruiting the late Dr. Jesse Ramsey to Cape and in establishing a neo-natal intensive care unit at Southeast Missouri Hospital, where he served on many committees. In the early years of his practice Dr. Kinder practiced at both Cape hospitals. He was one of the last local doctors still making house calls, an almost daily staple of his practice for more than 30 years. During the vast majority of his professional life he was a solo practitioner.

He served state government on various health-related committees. In 1989 he was appointed by former Gov. John Ashcroft to the Advisory Committee on Genetic Diseases for the Missouri Department of Health.

Dr. Kinder served as assistant scoutmaster and scoutmaster of Troop 4, chairman of the troop committee for Troop 3 and served at the district level in many capacities. He was awarded the Award of Merit by the Shawnee District in 1971 and the Silver Beaver by the Greater St. Louis Council, Boy Scouts of America, in 1994. For the last decade he organized and secured speakers for the Southeast Missouri Council Court of Honor for Eagle Scouts held each February at Southeast Missouri State University.

For more than 50 years he was an active member of Centenary United Methodist Church and served on its administrative board. He was a longtime member of the Cape Girardeau Lions Club.

In January of 1997, Dr. Kinder closed his private practice and moved to the Cape Girardeau County Health Clinic where he continued seeing Medicaid patients until the time of his death. That year the Missouri Medical Association awarded him its award for Citizenship and Community Service.

Friends may call at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel from 4-7 p.m. today.

Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Centenary United Methodist Church. Dr. Clayton Smith will officiate. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park.