GAVIN, Clement Andrew 1919 - 1958

GAVIN, LEVENHAGEN, POWERS, SCHMIDT, NORTON

Posted By: Cindy Maust Smith (email)
Date: 9/3/2020 at 14:41:04

The Monona Leader, Thursday, March 20, 1958, Monona, Iowa, Page 8

Gavin Funeral Rites Held Here

Funeral services for Clement Gavin, 38, of La Crosse, Wis., were held Tuesday morning, March 11, at 10 o'clock at St. Patrick's church in Monona with Father Robert Levenhagen reading the requiem mass.

Burial was in St. Patrick's cemetery with Leslie H. Smith Post No.519 of the American Legion conducting the military rites at the grave.

Father John Peters gave the sermon and Rev. Luke Donlon was in the sanctuary.

Mr. Gavin died from a heart attack Saturday afternoon, March 8, as the family car neared his former home at Rossville. The car driven by Mrs. Gavin was about 13 miles out of Waukon.

Mrs. Gavin, the former Frances Levenhagen of Monona, hailed a passing car. One occupant of the car, a woman, was a heart patient. She supplied the stricken man with nitroglycerin tablets, sometimes used in treating heart trouble.

The driver of the car, Leroy Lesch of Osage pulled blankets from his car and spread them on the road shoulder to revive him.

Another oncoming driver was asked to summon an ambulance and a priest.

Mrs. Gavin said the family left La Crosse Saturday morning to spend the weekend at the Gavin Rossville home farm. They stopped for a visit in Wisconsin, when the car became stuck in mud. Mr. Gavin strained hard to free the vehicle, and complained of chest pains shortly afterward.

Mrs. Gavin said her husband did not want to see a physician in Prairie du Chien as she suggested while the family was passing through the city.

The body was taken to the Schultz Funeral home in Monona.

Mr. Gavin was born June 14, 1919, in Cherry Mound, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew L. Gavin. He was a graduate of Waterville High School.

He was married to Frances Levenhagen in Monona, Sept. 10, 1941. They made their home in Monona, leaving there in the spring of 1944 for La Crosse, Wis. He was employed at the Monona Cooperative Commission company and at the Grove Feed mill while living here.

He was employed by the Allis Chalmers company in La Crosse. He served in the Navy during World War II. He was a member of St. Thomas Moore Catholic church and a member of the Holy Name society.

One son, Richard preceded him in death.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by five daughters, Karen, Patricia, Paulette, Mary Jane, and Constance; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew L. Gavin of Cherry Mound; four sisters, Mrs. James (Leona) Powers of Lansing, Mrs. Erwin Schmidt of La Crosse, Wis., Mrs. Emmett (Evelyn) Ca(?)alan and Mrs. Joe (Eunice) Norton of Waukon.

Pallbearers were brothers-in-law: Allen Lawson, Erwin Schmidt, Jim Powers, Bernard Welland, Norman Kann, and Virgil Thompson.