CLARENCE "Toby" KITTELSON 1915-2003

LIEN, KITTELSON, ANDERSON, RAWSON, ALVIS, KLOSTER, MCCLURKIN, MIENE, GOOCH

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 6/13/2008 at 07:40:33

Clarence "Toby" Kittelson

Clarence "Toby" Burnell Kittelson, the son of Henry L. Kittelson and Sophia B. (nee Lien) Kittelson, was born August 26, 1915, on a farm near Clermont, Iowa. He passed away Tuesday, January 21, 2003, in Palmer Lutheran Health Center at West Union, Iowa. He had reached the age of 87 years, 2 months, and 26 days.

He was baptized and confirmed at the East Clermont Lutheran Church. Following his graduation from the Clermont High School, Toby worked on his parents farm in Clermont Township, and also hauled cream for the Clermont Creamery. He joined the U.S. Army in 1941, and trained as a B-25 pilot, flying over 67 combat missions in the South Pacific.

Toby and Helen Mildred Anderson were married on November 17, 1944. They lived in Lahunta, Colorado and Georgia. He was honorably discharged in 1945 as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps and the couple returned to Clermont to farm.

A car accident in 1953 fractured his pelvis making it difficult to continue as a dairy farmer so he switched to raising beef, hogs and chickens. He started an aircraft charter business and flight school, operating out of the Clermont Airport. His children remember many evenings when his students would gather around the dining room table for flight school. Eventually a flying service called KRS, Inc. was formed with two other partners, which then became Northeast Iowa Aviation. The corporation owned rental aircraft and operated flying services at airports that included Clermont, Oelwein and Decorah.

In 1963, Toby's hip was fused, which eliminated the pain he had but left him with a stiff left hip and a distinctive walk. In 1969 he started Kittelson Tiling, which he operated until his retirement.

Toby was an avid traveler, and the planning of the journey was as important as the destination. He lived in Clermont for a time and then returned to the farm, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He belonged to several flying organizations that included the AOPA, the Experimental Aircraft Association, and the Iowa Flying Farmers. He also founded the Northeast Iowa Soaring Club.

Toby was a member of the Board of Directors of the Clermont Co-Op, serving as Secretary and President, the Northeast Iowa Fayette County Co-Op Board, the Aase Haugen Home Board, and the Sheehan-Olson American Legion Post No. 375 in Clermont. He was a member of the West Clermont Lutheran Church, where he served on the Church Council and the Property and Management Committee.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Helen, who died in 1988, a brother, Orlando Kittelson, brothers-in-law, Earl Kloster and James Anderson and wife, Margaret, sister-in-law, Gladys McClurkin, two nephews, Robert Kittelson and Larry Kittelson, and a niece, Myra McClurkin.

Surviving are his children, Gary (Beth) Kittelson of Minneapolis, MN, Bonnie (Ron) Rawson of Rockford, IL, Steven (Peggy) Kittelson and Richard Kittelson, all of Clermont, and John Kittelson of Milwaukee, WI, Linda (Jim) Alvis of Gypsum, CO, and Roger (Janet) Kittelson of Knoxville, TN; five grandchildren Chad (Melissa) Gooch, Renee Gooch, Jennifer Gooch, Jessica Alvis, and Amy Kittelson; sisters-in-law, Irene Kittelson of Charles City, Agnes Kloster of West Union, Pat (Paul) Miene of Postville, brother-in-law, William McClurkin of Arkansas, and many nieces and nephews.

Services were held January 24, 2003 in the West Clermont Lutheran Church at Clermont, Iowa with burial in God's Acres Cemetery at Clermont. Schutte's Funeral and Cremation Service of Clermont was in charge of arrangements.

Postville Herald-Leader newspaper clipping from my mother's obituary collection.
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