Jean Clarke

Jean Clarke, 81, of Wessington, passed away Thursday, September 28, 2017 at Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller.

Funeral service was held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, October 6, 2017 at the First Presbyterian Church, Wessington. Private burial was at Wessington Cemetery. Visitation began at 6:00 p.m., followed by a 7:00 p.m. prayer service Thursday, October 5, 2017, all at the church in Wessington.

Jean Ellen Hawley was born on January 24, 1936 to Harry and Grace (Bussell) Hawley in Bonilla, SD. She graduated from Wolsey High School. She married Donald Clarke on March 6, 1955 in Wolsey, SD and they farmed and lived in the Wessington area.   Three children were born to this union: Kent Donald in 1956, Karen Jean in 1958, and Kevin Douglas in 1964. Jean raised her family and was involved in many community, church, and family activities. She enjoyed traveling with Don to the many American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, Rural Mail Carriers, and DeSmet Farm Mutual meetings and events. She made many lifelong friends through these organizational gatherings.

Jean was a lifetime member of the American Legion Auxiliary, a member of Rural Mail Carriers Auxiliary, and the First Presbyterian Church. She held many positions in the local, state, and national levels and was always supporting Don in his endeavors in their home and community.

She found great pleasure in her three children and ten grandchildren, but her ten great grandchildren brought her many smiles and hugs in the last several years. Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren gave Jean much pleasure while attending and following their many activities. These included baseball, softball, volleyball, basketball, track, rodeo, 4-H, oral interpretation and dance. In recent years she also followed many of them on Facebook and got recaps of many of their activities through pictures and messages. She was a loyal fan to the Minnesota Twins over the years and rarely missed a game on television.

Over the last four years, she added another “family” of special friends at the Courtyard Villa Assisted Living Facility in Miller SD. The residents and workers helped her pass her days through fellow-ship, games, and other activities. She was very content there and enjoyed her family visits and meals with her at her “little” apartment.

Blessed to have shared her life are her children, Kent (Tami) Clarke of Wessington; Karen (Cliff) Lockner of Watertown; and Kevin (Julie) Clarke of Wessington. She was most proud of her grandchildren: Sommer (Phil) Welling of Rapid City, SD and their children Andrew and Brynn; Polly Clarke of Rapid City, SD and her daughter Ali Clarke; Jase (Ann) Clarke of Wessington; Ty Clarke of Wessington; Jeff (Leah) Lockner and their sons William and Sean of Brandon, SD; Angie (Levi) Lunden and their daughters Charlotte and Georgia of Astoria, SD; Darin (Whitney) Swartz of Wessington; Bridgett (Josh) McGillvrey and their daughters GraceLynn and AddeLynn of Wolsey, SD; Brooke Clarke (Keith Blachford) and their son Owen Blachford of Miller, SD; and Hailey Clarke of Wessington; two brothers, Ray (Honey) Hawley of San Diego CA and Jake (Ann) of Fort Myers, FL; two sisters, Beth Miller of Chandler, AZ and Joyce (Jerold) Zerfoss of Wessington; and brothers-in-law: Lester Clarke of Aberdeen, Roy Clarke of Miller, Jerry Smith of Golden Valley, AZ, and Tom Tritthart of CA.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Donald; her parents; brother, Harry Hawley, Jr.; her sisters: Shirley Tritthart and Carol Smith; sisters-in-law, Betty Clarke, Charlotte Clarke Berniece Clarke, Marge Hawley, and Elaine Hawley; and brothers-in-law, Ralph Clarke and Jerry Miller.

Her family is very appreciative of the loving care she received from the staff at the Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital, the staff of Good Samaritan Society and a special thank you to Dr. Michelle A. Turner.

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Jean’s arrangements.