Bodies of Cameron business owners discovered

Clinton County Coroner Robert Lee Hanks ruled out foul play after first responders discovered the bodies of Cameron Antique Mall Owners Jerry and Florence Kinder.

Although still awaiting autopsy results, Hanks attributed severe health conditions, unrelated to COVID-19, to the deaths of Jerry and Flo Kinder but did say Flo Kinder passed away days after her husband last week.

“There is nothing during our initial investigation that it was anything but health related … Mr. Kinder passed before Mrs. Kinder by a few days,” Hanks said.

Before their deaths, Jerry, 77, and Flo, 75, celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2018 and regularly attended St. Munchin Catholic Church in Cameron. As avid antique collectors, they turned their passion into a business, owning and operating the Cameron Antique Mall and Furniture Depot.  

“These folks did not have good health. Anyone who was at the scene could see that,” Hanks said. 

According to their obituary, Jerry Kinder grew up in West Virginia and served a tour of duty in German while in the U.S. Army. Florence was born in Kansas City. Both attended Rockhurst College and began dating while working at Kay Electronics. The Kinders will be laid to rest inside the Tyler Mountain Cemetery in Cross Lanes, W.V.

Kinder recently placed two classified ads in July and August with the Cameron Citizen-Observer requesting a $500 reward for anyone with information related to two separate break-ins. The stolen items included approximately 500 pieces of jewelry, several cases of wine, a metal wine rack, pictures, knives, axes, two large clocks, decorative elephants, swords, tools keys and a child’s record player.