Edith Lavon Veldhouse

February 13, 2003

Edith Lavon (Thompson) Veldhouse, 83, of Norwalk, a former Clarion resident, died on Monday, February 3, 2003, at the Regency Care Center, Norwalk, where she had been a resident since 1994 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, February 8, at the First Lutheran Church, Clarion. Pastor Gary Boen officiated at the 11:00 a.m. service. Interment was in the Evergreen Cemetery, Clarion. The Willim Funeral Home, Clarion, was in charge of the arrangements.

Edith Lavon Thompson, was born on April 28, 1919 in Kanawha (Hancock County), the daughter of Thomas E. and Alice Marie (Mary) Hill Thompson. She was confirmed in the Lutheran Church and graduated from the Kanawha High School. She then attended a business course in Chillicothe, Missouri. She worked for the USDA in the Wright County ASC office before and during her marriage for a total of nearly 30 years.

Lavon and George A. Veldhouse, were married on November 7, 1937. They had been married for almost 49 years at the time of George’s death in 1986. They farmed in the Holmes and Corwith areas for many years. They spent their retirement years in Clarion.

Lavon was a member of First Lutheran Church, Clarion where she taught Sunday School and was a member of Circle and Alter Guild.

Surviving are her children, Karen Anderson and husband, Bob of Norwalk, Gary Veldhouse and wife, Darcy of Elk River, Minnesota and Tom Veldhouse and wife, Arlinda of New Hope, Minnesota; 10 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, George; six brothers; Martin, Edward, Chester, Kenneth, Robert and Donald; sisters, Alice as an infant, Hazel Teeple and Mabel Miller.
© Wright County Monitor 2003

Pastor Calvin Eugene Milan

February 13, 2003

Pastor Calvin Eugene Milan, 77, of Litchfield, Minnesota, formerly of Clarion, died on Monday, February 3, 2003.

A memorial service was held at the Litchfield Christian Church on Thursday, February 6.

Calvin Eugene Milan was born on January 2, 1926 in Kimball, Minnesota, the son of Joseph William and Emma Ann (Linn) Milan. In January 1944, he was drafted into the Army but was deferred until after graduating from the Kimball High School in May that same year. The Army transferred him to the Air Corps and Calvin trained to be a tail gunner and later a mechanic on B-17 bombers. He was honorably discharged in the summer of 1946. In the fall of 1946 he entered the Minnesota Bible College where he received a 4 year BA degree in ministry and preaching.

On June 26, 1950, he and Vila Jean Hilary were united in marriage. In the fall of 1951, Calvin and Vila moved to Clarion where he preached in the Clarion Church of Christ for 18 years. It was in Clarion that their daughter, Jan and son, Jim were born.

In 1970, the family moved to O’Neill, Nebraska where Calvin preached in the O’Neill Church of Christ for four years. From January 1974 until June 1991, Calvin ministered with the Litchfield Church of Christ. Upon retirement he worked for the Litchfield Public Library as part of the "Green Thumb" program.

Calvin was a member of the Litchfield Wood Carver’s Club, sang in a male quartet and led revivals in many churches. He and Vila traveled to the Holy Land in the late 1980’s. In 1992, he was diagnosed with diabetes and became an active participant in the diabetes support group.

Calvin is survived by his wife, Vila of Litchfield, Minnesota; one daughter, Jan Pease and husband, Dave also of Litchfield, Minnesota; one son, Jim Milan of Rochester, Minnesota; one granddaughter; several nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Leslie (Les) Milan; and one infant grandson, Nathaniel Pease.
© Wright County Monitor 2003

Eleanor Jean (German) Poulson

March 6, 2003

Eleanor Jean (German) Poulson, 77, of Clarion, died on Sunday, February 23, 2003, at the USA Health Care Center, Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, February 26, at the First United Methodist Church, Clarion. Rev. LaVonne Kaasa 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.

Eleanor Jean Spillman, was born on August 13, 1925 in Gordon, Nebraska, the daughter of Homer Earl and Helen Marie (Cady) Spillman. She graduated from high school at Rushville, Nebraska, completed her teacher’s training and taught two years of rural school in a sod schoolhouse in the sand hills of northwestern Nebraska.

She relocated to Bremerton, Washington to assist in the war effort. Here, she met John Everett German. They entered into marriage on December 20, 1945, at Alliance, Nebraska and moved to Des Moines where he received his bachelors degree in Fine Arts from Drake University, while also serving as a guard at Fort Des Moines. John taught school in Clarion until his sudden death on July 26, 1964.

Jean remarried on July 2, 1975, to Merle O. Poulson of Clarion. The couple spent the past 28 years living in Clarion.

Survivors include her husband, Merle of Clarion; children, Virginia Koonce of Lincoln, Nebraska, Marcia Murrow and husband, Denny of Mitchelville and Lindsey German and wife, Belva of Clarion; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and one sister, Marie Curtis of Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents; first husband, John; one sister, Esther; three brothers, Julius, Merle and Frank; and one son-in-law, Daniel Koonce.
© Wright County Monitor 2003

Edythe Amosson

March 6, 2003

Edythe Amosson, 89, of Clarion, passed away on Thursday, February 27, 2003, at the USA Healthcare Center, Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Monday, March 3, at the First Lutheran Church in Clarion. Pastor Gary Boen officiated at the 2:00 p.m. service. Burial was in the Norway Township Cemetery, rural Kanawha.

Edythe Evelyn Wilds, was born on March 17, 1913 in rural Webster City, the daughter of Stewart and Fern (Stauffer) Wilds. She was confirmed at the St. John’s Lutheran Church in rural Kanawha. She was raised and educated in Webster City and graduated from the Eagle Grove High School in 1930.

On March 5, 1932, Edythe and Sam Amosson were united in marriage. The couple farmed northwest of Clarion for seven years and then moved to a farm north of Goldfield where they farmed for several years. In 1976, the couple moved to Clarion. Sam passed away in 1978.

In 1997, Edythe moved to the Meadows and was a very active participant in all the activities there while she was able. In November 2001 she became a resident of the USA Healthcare Center and was there at the time of her death.

She was an active member of the St. John’s Lutheran Church in rural Kanawha and later at First Lutheran Church, Clarion. She held many offices in the St. John’s Lutheran Church and was a circle member in First Lutheran Church.

She is survived by two daughters, Audrey Naefke and husband, Harold of Clarion and Shirley Wigans and husband, Bruce of Goldfield; five grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and husband.
© Wright County Monitor 2003