Costigan, John Clark 1917-2004

SMITH, COSTIGAN, WITT, WALCH, OBERFELL

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 6/12/2008 at 10:39:11

John Clark Costigan

Funeral services were held for John Clark Costigan at 11:00 a.m. on February 27, 2004 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Elkader, Iowa with interment in the East Side Cemetery at Elkader, Iowa. Leonard Funeral Home of Elkader, Iowa was in charge of the arrangements.

John Clark Costigan, 86, of Elkader, died Monday, February 23, 2004, at his home. He had diabetes and suffered a stroke on June 7, 2003.

He was born April 20, 1917, at Elkport, IA to John and Gertrude (Smith) Costigan. After graduating from Elkport High School, he attended Elkader Junior College and Iowa State College (UNI), where he played baseball for the varsity team. He had a lifelong interest in athletics – especially the local teams and the University of Iowa football. Clark entered the U.S. Army on May 13, 1942, serving during WW II. He served with the Major Corps of Engineers in Africa, Italy, France, China and various countries in the Middle East for two and a half years. As an engineer, he helped build advance air bases, constructed pipelines across Africa and was in charge of heavy equipment, which meant twenty-four hour maintenance to keep all equipment moving. He was honorably discharged in 1945.

He was united in marriage to Marjorie Witt on September 30, 1945, at Pasco, Washington Naval Air Station. After returning home he continued in the business of building bridges and culverts. A partnership had been formed in 1937 with Thor Fisko in Garber, IA. In 1945, a new company was started in Elkader, and in 1948, he became sole owner of the J. C. Costigan Construction Co. He retired in 1973. He had been a member of the AGC (Associated General Contractor) of America and Iowa for thirty-five years. He continued to manage his farms near St. Olaf until his death.

Clark had many interests including traveling, where he visited many places he had been during WW II. He was a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Building was not only a job; it was a way of doing things for his community. He was a board member when the swimming pool was constructed, and a board member when the hospital was built. Clark and his partner, Bill Kanak, built the bowling alley. He was one of three that purchased the Hop farm and helped to construct the golf course. With his partners he bought and developed the area near the hospital, the Area Education Assoc. complex and Breezy Point housing development. He was elected to the Upper Iowa College board of trustees, and was a Central State Bank board member for many years. He gave generously to many projects in the town; his chief interest being the Carter House Museum where he and his family once lived.

Survivors include his wife, Marjorie Costigan, Elkader; four children, Heidi (Michael Girsch), Minneapolis, MN, John W. (Sheila Martin), Tallahassee, FL, Colleen (Richard Talbot), Seattle, WA and Dan (Judy Matas), Seattle, WA; eight grandchildren and a sister, Betty Walch, Elkader. Clark was preceded in death by his parents; a granddaughter, Amanda Girsch; a sister, Dorothy Oberfell and a niece, Cathy Barry.

Extracted from a Leonard Funeral Home Brochure. Submitter is not related and has no further information.

Clayton Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen