Margaret Lee Abbott

Margaret Lee Abbott, 74, of Clarion, died on Saturday, June 1, 2002, at the USA Health Care Center in Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, June 5, at the Clarion Church of Christ. Rev. Tim Platt officiated at the 10:30 a.m. service. Burial was in the Evergreen Cemetery, Clarion. The Willim Funeral Home of Clarion was in charge of the arrangements.

Margaret Lee Abbott, the oldest child of Carl Lee and Clara Leona Schutt Abbott, was born on September 13, 1927 in Clinton, Missouri. She grew up in Wall Lake Township, Wright County, where she attended various one room schools. She received an Honorary 1 upon graduation from the 8th grade.

After graduating from high school in 1944, she began a long career of teaching, starting a few weeks before her 17th birthday, and lasting for 49 years. She earned an Associate of Arts degree from Mason City Jr. College and a BSE and a MSE from Drake University. She taught in local rural schools for 12 years before moving to Altoona and teaching there until retiring in 1999. She moved back to the Clarion area in 1999.

She was a member of the ISEA, a life member of NEA, Wall Lake Monday Club, and the Clarion United Church of Christ where she taught Sunday School.

Margaret is survived by one sister, Leona Waterman of Stevensville, Montana; one brother, Lynn Abbott and wife, Ruth of Boone; and four nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one infant brother; and one sister, Oris.
© Wright County Monitor 2002

Myrtle J Hanson

Myrtle J. Hanson, 90, of Clarion, died on Thursday, June 13, 2002, at the Wright County Medical Center, Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, June 18, at 1:00 p.m., at the First Lutheran Church in Clarion. Pastor Gary Boen officiated at the service. Burial was in the Evergreen Cemetery, Clarion.

Myrtle Jeanette Strom, was born on January 13, 1912, the daughter of Andrew and Hanna Erickson Strom in Eagle Grove. She was raised and educated in Eagle Grove, graduating from the Eagle Grove High School.

She and Elmer (Bud) Hanson, were married on August 27, 1933. They made their home in Clarion and had lived there their entire lives.

Myrtle was a member of the First Lutheran Church and was very active in the church and church circles.

Survivors include her daughter, Jean Epping and husband, Gordon of Cedar Rapids; one son, Roger Hanson and wife, Donna of Manchester; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one sister, Signa Thebiay of Eagle Grove; and one sister-in-law, Fran Hanson of Clarion.

Preceding her in death were her parents; husband; one sister, Alice Knutson; and one brother, Kerner Strom.
© Wright County Monitor 2002

Judd Raymond Beckett

Judd Raymond Beckett, 45, of Clarion, died on Saturday, June 15, 2002, at the Wright Medical Center, Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, June 19, at the Willim Funeral Home, Clarion. Pastor Tim Platt of the Clarion Church of Christ officiated at the 10:00 a.m. service.

Judd Raymond Beckett was born on February 1, 1957, the son of William and June Ramsey Beckett of Clarion. He was raised and educated in Clarion.

Judd and Karen Thompson were married on May 26, 1984 in Goldfield. Judd and Karen made their home in Clarion where Judd worked as a carpenter. He was always willing to lend a hand to a friend or neighbor with any of their building projects. He also liked to hunt and fish, especially ice fishing. He enjoyed most his family and Harley Davidson motorcycles and the trips with his wife, Karen and their friends.

Surviving are his wife, Karen; son, Robert William; and mother, June; all of Clarion; brother, Steve; and seven nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his father, William; grandparents, Perry and Lorene Beckett and Leonard and Olive Ramsey.
© Wright County Monitor 2002

Sharon Truelson

Sharon Truelson, 42, of Laurens, died on Wednesday, June 19, 2002, as the result of an auto accident near Sioux Rapids.

Funeral services were held on Monday, June 24, at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Laurens. Burial was in the Laurens Cemetery.

Sharon Kay Bloxham, was born on July 29, 1959 at Clarion. She was the daughter of Robert and Lucille (Anderson) Bloxham. Sharon was baptized and confirmed at the First Lutheran Church in Clarion. She attended the Clarion High School. On May 10, 2002, she graduated from Iowa Lakes Community College with a degree as a Medical Secretary Specialist.

Sharon married Harold Truelson at Warsaw, Missouri. The couple made their home in Laurens until the mid 1990s when they moved to Sioux Rapids.

Survivors include her husband, Harold, of Sioux Rapids; daughter, Megan Truelson of Ames; mother, Lucille Bloxham of Clarion; sister, Betty (Mrs. Raymond) Stockseth of Belmond; her mother-in-law, Pauline Truelson of Pocahontas; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father; son, Daren; and father-in-law, Henry Truelson.
© Wright County Monitor 2002

Beverly Kay Smith

Beverly Kay Smith, age 67, of Clarion, died on Thursday, June 20, 2002, at the USA Healthcare Center in Clarion.

A memorial service was held on Monday, June 24, at the Willim Funeral Home with Rev. LaVonne Kaasa of the United Methodist Church officiating. Memorials may be directed to the family.

Beverly Kay LeValley Smith, was born on July 20, 1934 in Dayton, Iowa to Boyd and Viola Peterson LeValley. She married Donald E. Smith of Webster City, in the Little Brown Church in Nashua on January 8, 1955. Beverly stayed at home and raised her three children, later working at Meredith and Neo-Data.

She enjoyed bingo, playing cards and watching her grandchildren play. She was a member of the Clarion United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her husband, Donald of Clarion; three children, Randy and his wife, Janni of Sandpoint, Idaho, Curt and his wife, Rhonda of Hayden Lake, Idaho and Pam Acheson and her husband, Sam of Panora; and five grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents.
© Wright County Monitor 2002

Marvin Durwood Clopton

Marvin Durwood Clopton, 84, of Clarion, died on Saturday, June 22, 2002, at the Wright Medical Center in Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, June 26, at the Clarion Church of Christ. Rev. Tim Platt officiated at the 10:30 a.m. service. Burial was in the Evergreen Cemetery, Clarion.

Marvin Durwood Clopton, was born on February 8, 1918, the son of Wilford and Sarah Mantz Andrews in rural Churdan. His father died six weeks later and his mother later married Roscoe Clopton in September of 1921. The family moved to Clarion where Marvin attended school.

After graduating from the Clarion High School in 1936, Marvin operated a trucking business which Roscoe had started, until 1941. In June of 1939, Marvin went to work as a brakeman on the Chicago Great Western Railroad.

In March of 1941, Marvin was inducted into the United States Army. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in March of 1943 and was honorably discharged on January 17, 1946, after serving in a Tank Destroyer Battalion.

On June 26, 1941, while in the service, Marvin was united in marriage to Phyllis Doctor of Belmond. To this union three children were born, Mitchell Dean (Mickey), Beverly K. and Debra Ann. Over the next four years the Cloptons moved from coast to coast serving their country.

After being discharged from the Army, Marvin returned to Clarion and resumed his job with the Chicago Great Western Railroad and then the Chicago Northwestern as a brakeman/conductor. He retired in 1979 with 40 years of seniority.

He was a member of the Clarion Church of Christ where he was baptized in 1929 at the age of 11, member of the Kum Join Us Class and also a Sunday School Teacher, trustee, deacon, elder, and Chairman of the Board. He was also a member of the American Legion since 1946 and the United Transportation Union, Lodge #329.

Surviving Marvin is his wife, Phyllis of Clarion; two daughters, Beverly Downs of Denison and Debra Brunette and husband, Brian of Buna, Texas; six grandchildren; and one daughter-in-law, Jeanette Shick and husband, Larry of Denver, Colorado.

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Mitchell Dean Clopton; sister, Zatha; and one son-in-law, Tim Downs.
© Wright County Monitor 2002

Donald Whitty

Donald Whitty, 81, of Clarion, died on Monday, June 24, 2002, at the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.

A Memorial Mass was held on Thursday, June 27, at the St. John's Catholic Church in Clarion, with Father David Beckman officiating. Burial was in the St. John's Catholic Cemetery, Clarion.

Donald Thomas Whitty, was born on February 11, 1921, the son of Thomas N. and Mary M. (Martin) Whitty at Austin, Minnesota. At a young age his family moved to Clarion where Donald was raised and educated. He graduated from the Clarion High School in 1939.

On October 23, 1942, Donald was inducted into the United States Army where he served as a medic during World War II in the 90th Infantry Division. Donald was honorably discharged from active service on December 11, 1945.

Donald and Dorothy Florence Hagen, were united in marriage on February 21, 1946, at the St. John's Catholic Church in Clarion. The couple farmed in the Wright County area for over 40 years. He was a life long, active member of the St. John's Catholic Church.

Survivors include his three children, Donna Jayne Monkelien and husband, Perry of Aurora, Colorado, Tim Whitty and wife, Kathy of Woodinville, Washington and Steve Whitty and wife, Michele of Clive; eight grandchildren; two sisters, Joan Adeline Kelley of Sunlakes, Arizona and Margaret Louise Ehmke of Plano, Texas; and one brother, Thomas Ernest Whitty of Belmond.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Dorothy; and one sister, Sister Marilyn Whitty.
© Wright County Monitor 2002

Armando Duran

Armando Duran, 13 month old son of Jose Santos and Danielle Negrete Duran, of Galt, formerly of Des Moines, died on Sunday, June 30, 2002, at the St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, July 3, at the St. John's Catholic Church in Clarion. Father Ricardo Coronardo and Father David Beckman officiated at the 3:00 p.m. service. Burial was in the St. John's Cemetery, Clarion.

Those left to cherish his memory are his parents; two brothers, Alejandro and Jose, both at home; grandparents, Josefina and Jose Duran of Mexico, Alex and Diane Negrete of Eagle Grove; as well as numerous aunts and uncles.
© Wright County Monitor 2002