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MAY 6 1986
CLARK, LOUIS F. -
Of 561 Orange St., passed away Tuesday, May 6, 1986, aged 80 years.
Surviving are his wife, Eleanor; two sons and daughters-in-law, FrederickH. and Brenda Clark of Jackson, John P. and Susan Clark of Lansing; twodaughters and sons-in-law, Mrs. Peter (Mary) Ambs of Blissfield, Mrs.,Duane (Patricia) Olney of Jackson; nine grandchildren; sixgreat-grandchildren; two brothers, Raymond and Leo Clark, both ofChelsea; three sisters, Margaret Klavon, Eunice Kalmbach, Lucille Wright,all of Jackson; several nieces and nephews. He was a retiree of WalkerManufacturing Company with 28 years service, member of the JacksonEngineers Club and Wolf Lake Yacht Club. Mr. Clark is at the Chas. J.Burden and Son Funeral Home, 1806 E. Michigan Ave., where services willbe held Friday, 10:00 a.m. and at St. John's Catholic Church, 10:30 a.m.Interment St. John's Cemetery. The family will receive friends Wednesdayand Thursday 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friends who wish may makecontributions to the St. John's Catholic Church Building Fund or theJackson Parkinson's Disease Group Rosary, Thursday, 8:30
Re: Jackson Citizen Patriot.
Louis Fred Clark, born November 20, 1905 to Fred and AnnaMarguerite (Schwickerath) Clark. Blonde hair, blue eyes, in adulthoodhis hair changed to black, he stood about 5'11 and weighed about 175.
Louis had a normal childhood for those days, he had chores to do,and being the eldest of six he had other responsibilities.
He attended St Mary's Catholic School in Chelsea, Michigan, after eighthgrade he moved over to Chelsea High School, he soon dropped out and wentto work at a farm near Pleasant Lake, Michigan. He took a keen interestin electricity and mechanics; he would experiment in the upstairs of thefamily home at 792 South Main Street, the back bedroom that he referredto as "the lab". He would create sparks from a battery, and his youngersister Eunice thought he made the "stars in the heavens".
In 1933 his Father passed away leaving his Mother with two small girlsto raise, Eunice 11 and Dolly 9 years old. Louis made a promise to hisFather that he would always take care of his Mother and raise his youngersisters. He did just that, not marrying himself until 1942; he marriedEleanor Schipper of Jackson. Louis was 15 years older than Eleanor; hesaid he had to wait until she grew up, as she was a playmate of Dolly andEunie. Eleanor's grandmother lived in the neighborhood and she came tovisit often.
After their marriage, May 9, 1942 at Queens Catholic Church in Jacksonthey lived with his Mother at 205 E Ganson St, Jackson. February 1943,at age 38, he became a Father to his own children, Mary Elizabeth1943;Patricia Ann 1946; Frederick Henry 1948; John Paul 1952. At he age of 57in 1963 he became a Grandfather.
Dad was older than most Dads of kids our age, but I bet he playedwith us more than the other Dads, he would play softball but alwayshaving someone else run the bases for him, he would get out his trustystop watch and time our foot races across the field out back, he wouldtake us down to the river, just so we could throw rocks, we went on smallvacations usually up north, he had to keep up with the progress of theNew Mackinaw Bridge, we went there several times, not too many kids canremember watching it grow as we did, the bridge opened in 1957. We madeour way to nearly every lake in Jackson and Washtenaw Counties, Dad lovedto go swimming and had all of us kids swimming like fish. Picnics, countyfairs, walks in the woods, sledding, bicycling, family Sunday Picnics,visits to Uncle Pickle's house, are among the favorite memories of uskids.
Louis had several hobbies also, he built his first radio when he was15, from crystals, everyone in Chelsea came to the house to hear the"little voice on the crystal box," they all wanted him to build them onetoo. Also, he wired the first electric lights on a Christmas tree inChelsea, using a battery for a power source, he lit up Monies tree, andeveryone was delighted. Dad always "helped " us kids carve our Halloweenpumpkin then he would add two D cell batteries a small bulb connected bya wire, set it in the pumpkin instead of a candle, neighbor kids wouldbring him the batteries and he would make one for them too. He wouldalso build from Heathkit, radios, record players, televisions; he wouldwork for hours at the ironing board in the kitchen, always taking off hisglasses so he "could see".
He was a "rescuer" always out to help anyone who needed it especially hisfamily. He was a self-starter; he pushed himself but not others. He wentback to school in the 1950's to get his electrical license, passed withflying colors and became a Licensed Industrial Electrician, and later aIndustrial Engineer. He started to work at Walker Manufacturing inJackson during WWll, as he was too old to go in the service, Walkers wasconsidered a "War Plant" so he did his part for his country, electricianswere badly needed then. He never served actively in any branch of USservice, as he was too young for WW1, too old for WW ll. Retired fromWalkers in 1970 after 28 years of devoted service.
Affiliations:
Jackson Engineers Club
Wolf Lake Yacht Club: (served as treasurer for several years)
St John's Catholic Church
Boy Scouts of America.
Parkinson's Foundation Group
Louis was a quiet man, studious, generous and kind. He had a great loveof family. If this were an Italian family, he would have been the "Don",not that he wanted it that way, but his brother's and sister's alwayslooked to him for his approval. Several nieces and nephews did too,mostly Monies family, they all loved him as their "father figure". Hestayed, along with his family, with his Mother in her home until herdeath in 1962, and then in 1964 he bought his very first home at 561Orange St. There he lived until his death in 1986.
He was always a healthy man, never complained of illness, never missed aday's work until the day he became a "grandpa". Never had a gray hairuntil his sickness took over his body, at age 75 he was diagnosed withParkinson's disease. He died May 6, 1986 at Spring Arbor Manor fromcomplications from Parkinson's, sepsis infection.
Patricia A (Clark) Olney
2001
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1905 - 1986 (80 years)