Duane Junior Clark

Duane was born in Dolliver, Iowa, September 28, 1925 to Albert and Willo (Watrous) Clark. He grew up on the farm near Jackson, MN. He was sent to Minnesota School for the Deaf in Faribault, MN when it was learned that he had 80% deafness and could not keep up in public school. While at MSD (which is now Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf), he became very active in sports. He tried almost every sport that was available, but his favorites were football and track. He especially enjoyed the running long jump and broke many existing school records. While at MSD, along with studying the 3 R’s, he was trained on setting and operating printing presses. After graduation in 1946, he went to work for Brown & Bigelow as a pressman. While at Brown & Bigelow he met his future wife, Rosella. They loved to go to the movies together. Their love of movies lasted to the very end. Duane especially liked the action movies. Westerns were his favorite. Duane and Rosella married on Friday, September 2, 1949. After their honeymoon in Oklahoma, they moved in with Rosella’s widowed mother and lived there until they started having a family. They bought a 2-story farm house in what is now Shoreview and lived there until the land was bought by the city for a new school. From here they moved to the east side of St Paul where they lived for many years. After he was laid off from Brown & Bigelow, Duane went to work for the YMCA on St Paul’s east side. He worked as a night maintenance and watchman for many years until he found a day job at Hartzell Manufacturing. Duane worked for Hartzell until his retirement in 1999. In 1999 Duane wanted to retire to the farm so he and his wife and youngest daughter, Debbie, bought a farm in Rock Creek, MN. Here he was content to watch the horses in the pasture and live life in the slow lane. Duane never did lose his love of sports. He was a true Minnesota Vikings fan from day one. He could call the plays or penalties before they happened, which impressed his sons and grandsons no end. His grandsons played on the Pine City high school football team and he loved to go to the games until he was too ill to attend. Duane had given his heart to the Lord in 1957 and never looked back. His Christian faith was the foundation of the family and his love of God and family was the glue that held us all together throughout the years. Duane lived on the farm in Rock Creek until his death on August 25, 2010. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Duane is survived by his children Diana (Darrell) Hackett of Moundsview, Duane “Jay” (Jane ) Clark of St. Paul, Dennis (Peggy) Clark of Maplewood, Deborah Clark-Shelton of Rock Creek, David (Kathy) Clark of Blaine and Daniel (Julie) Clark of Hastings; Grandchildren Jason (Linda) Hackett, Elizabeth (Ted) Anderson, Joseph (Christen) Hackett, Andrew (Jessie) Clark, Benjamin (Hannah) Clark, Rebecca (Paul) Campbell, Jonathan (Annie) Clark, Aron (Julie) Clark, Zachary Clark, Gabriel (Lindsay) Clark, Geoffrey Shelton, Gregory Shelton, Garrett Shelton, Larry Esler, Anneka Clark, Brandon Underwood-Clark, Sydney Clark and Erin Clark, great-grandchildren Anna, Alletta, Lillian & Levi Clark, Cooper & Sage Clark, Willo Clark, William Campbell and Colton Anderson, sister Beverly (Ray) Wagner of Lakefield, brothers Quentin (Millie) Clark of Auburn, Cal., Bud Stedman of Seattle, Washington. Duane was preceded in death by his parents Albert & Willo Clark and his wife Rosella. Memorial services are scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday-September 1, 2010 at the Pleasantview Deaf Assembly; 7901 Pleasantview Dr. Spring Lake Park, MN. with visitation one hour prior.