F.B. Clarke, 88, of Baker City, died Feb. 26, 2006, at his home.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets. Father Julian Cassar will officiate. There will be a reception at the church after the service.
Mr. Clarke was born on Jan. 2, 1918, at Boulder, Colo., to John L. and Ila Stauffer Clarke. He was raised at Benton, Ill. After graduating from high school, he worked in the New Orient Mine No. 2 at Benton until enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1940.
Capt. Clarke served in World War II as a combat liaison pilot in the Pacific: Saipan, Tinian, Leyte and Okinawa. He received many commendations and the Purple Heart for injuries sustained at Saipan.
He then served as an adviser with the XXIV Air Corps at Seoul, Korea, where he met 1st Lt. Zona M. Parker of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. They were married on Aug. 17, 1947.
After returning to the states, F.B. and Zona lived on the ranch at Wingville where they raised a family of six children and farmed acres of wheat. During the winter months, F.B. worked at Levinger Rexall Drugs.
In 1970, he purchased an insurance agency, which is now Clarke and Clarke Insurance. After his retirement, he and Zona joined the Peace Corps and traveled to Katmandu, Nepal.
He was a gifted carpenter and enjoyed building projects of all kinds. Most especially, he was proud of his family, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife, Zona M. Clarke; children and their spouses, Vicki and Glen Herman and Patti and Ray Stinnett of La Grande, and Terri and Kevin Bell, Tabor and Dee Dee Clarke, Nelson and Amy Clarke and Michael and Kim Clarke of Baker City; a sister, Patty Hunter and brother-in-law, Tom Hunter of Benton, Ill.; grandchildren, Kathy and Teddy Nickerson, Bethany and Ellyn Herman, Kyle and Kelsie Bell, Kristen Bell, Jackson Clarke, Peter and Anna Clarke and Allison, Melissa and Charlie Clarke; four great-grandchildren, Faith and Mariah Nickerson, and McKenzie and Braden Bell; nephews, John B. and his wife, BettyAnn Clarke of Haines and Clark Hunter of Canada.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, John A. Clarke.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Baker County 4-H Leaders Association through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, March 10, 2006
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
