PHYSICIAN JAMES KINDER DEAD AT 82

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Longtime Cape Girardeau pediatrician James R. Kinder, who gently guided generations of patients from "diapers to diplomas," died Saturday in a traffic accident near Cartersville, Ga. He was 82.

Kinder, and his wife, Mary Hunter Kinder, were traveling west on Georgia Route 20, when the Kinder vehicle was involved in a two-vehicle accident about three miles east of Cartersville.

Kinder was pronounced dead at the scene. Mrs. Kinder was listed in stable condition at a Rome, Ga. medical center.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later by Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Kinder, a practicing pediatrician for more than half a century, remained active in pediatrics as a staff member of the Cape County Public Health Center's Primary Care Clinic for Medicaid and low income children.

In addition to seeing youngsters at the clinic, he was still seeing some private patients.

Kinder, who attended Cape Girardeau public schools and Southeast Missouri State University here, completed his undergraduate studies at Washington University in St. Louis, graduating in June of 1941.

He served in the U.S. Army Air Corp. as a flight surgeon, and returned to Cape Girardeau, where he opened his private practice in 1948, following two years of pediatric training in St. Louis.

In 1955, Kinder moved his office from 826 Themis to the Medical Arts Building at 937 Broadway.

Kinder and several other doctors purchased the former school building in 1954, and converted it into the city's first multi-office medical building.

Over the years, Kinder served as pediatrician to thousands of youngsters.

Survivors included four sons, Sen. Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau, James Kinder of Cairo, Ill., Frank Kinder of Southlake Texas, and Maj. Mark Kinder of Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi; a sister, Mary Helen Flentge of Cape Girardeau; and nine grandchildren.

One of the physicians in the Medical Arts Building when it opened was Dr. H.D. Ridings.

"We shared the same office building about 30 years," said Ridings. "He was the first certified pediatrician in Cape Girardeau and I was in internal medicine.

"Dr. Kinder was a very professional, very ethical physician," said Ridings. "He practiced good medicine throughout his entire career. It was a privilege to know him."

Kinder maintained an office at the Medical Arts building until 1988, when he moved his practice to the Pediatric Associates on Mount Auburn Road. At the age of 79, Kinder shouldered new challenges, when he joined the staff at the Public Health Center.

Kinder saw and was a part of the growth of the Cape Girardeau medical community and Southeast Missouri Hospital in particular.

Dr. Kinder and Dr. Jesse Ramsey were instrumental in the creation of a separate pediatrics unit at the hospital," said James Wente, Southeast Missouri Hospital administrator.

"Dr. Kinder had been on the medical staff of the hospital long before I became a part of it," said Wente, who joined Southeast in 1976. "He joined the medical staff in 1948, a year after I was born."

Wente said he frequently visited with Dr. Kinder after he met him.

"We'd talk about medicine and things that were happening at the hospital," said Wente. "But, we'd also talk about his service in the armed forces. He took a lot of pride in his service to our country. He was stationed for a while at Chunking, China.

"Dr. Kinder was honored numerous times, by the Southeast hospital board of trustees for outstanding service to the hospital; the U.S. Army and Naval Reserve Center; and by the Cape Girardeau Public School System for outstanding work with school.

"I' remember his bow tie and warm smile," said Wente. "He'll be greatly missed. His service to his fellow man and to thousands of kids will be remembered."

Others in the community will also mourn.

"This was a shock to us all," said Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh. "Jim was in fantastic health for his age. And, he was probably looking forward to going back to work Monday."

The Limbaughs and the Kinders were neighbors and friends.

"Our kids grew up together, and we have remained fast friends throughout the years in Cape Girardeau."

"Dr. Jim was one of the few remaining doctors who were in Cape when I came here in 1955," said Dr. Charles McGinty, "I got to know him first through Boy Scouts, an organization to which Jim devoted much time. Later we met medically," added McGinty.

Dr. Kinder had the respect of everyone, said McGinty. "He was highly regarded, even by the younger doctors." Kinder was known throughout Missouri for his work with pediatrics, he said.

During the early days of his practice, Kinder's work week stretched into more than 100 hours, and included house calls and trips throughout Southeast Missouri, to provide much-needed pediatric services.

As many as four generations of families have been treated by Dr. Kinder.

He thrived, said those who knew him, on caring for children. Although most physicians expect to get their fair share of fifth-inning, dinner and late-night telephone calls, pediatricians are virtually guaranteed of living by the jangle of the telephone.

Parents who called late at night almost always started out by saying, "I hate to bother you, but..."

Dr. Kinder once said he always answered with "It's no bother, that's what I'm here for."