WILLSHER, Clare Edward 1917-1994

WILLSHER, GIBBS, KOCK, LEGG, LEE, WINTERS, JORGES, SPIVEY, LEIDER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 7/29/2012 at 18:43:44

Clare E. Willsher, 77, of Marble Rock, Iowa, died Saturday, June 11, 1994, at his home, of cancer.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday morning at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Marble Rock, with Rev. J. Albrecht officiating. Burial was in Sunnyside Memory Gardens, Charles City, with military rites conducted by the American Legion.

Reid's Funeral Chapel, Marble Rock, was in charge of arrangements.

Clare Edward Willsher was born April 20, 1917, in rural Mason City, Iowa, a son of Thomas Henry and Clara Ellen (Gibbs) Willsher. He attended rural Cerro Gordo County schools, and graduated from Mason City High School in 1934. As a young man he worked as a farm hand, and later as a truck driver, hauling grain, livestock and coal, until he was inducted into the U.S. Army on August 21, 1942. He was honorably discharged on December 17, 1945.

He was united in marriage to Vera E. Kock, on December 26, 1946 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Marble Rock. The farmed in the Marble Rock and Greene area until 1951 when they moved into Marble Rock. They remained there until 1957, when they moved to the home place in Aureola. During this time he was employed by Oliver Tractor Works and Ted's Auto Electric in Charles City, and later, Mel's Standard in Marble Rock. He purchased the Shreve Mobil Station in Marble Rock in 1968, which he operated for four years.

In 1973 he was employed by United Hydraulics in Waverly and later in Hampton, a then went to work for Seabees Corporation in Hampton until his retirement in 1979. During his retirement he helped out at Larry's Garage in Dougherty.

Clare was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Marble Rock, where he served as a member of the Church Council. He was a member of the Dougherty American Legion and a former member of the Loyal Order of the Moose 1328 in Mason City. For many years he was Scoutmaster for Troop 28 in Marble Rock. His pastimes included reading, playing cards and woodworking. He enjoyed his special companion, an English bull dog named Alphonse "CA2," who survives him.

Living family members include six daughters: Patricia Legg, Ruth Lee and Jacquelyn Winters, all of Marble Rock; Barbara Jorges of Osage; LaDonna Jorges of Hampton; and Trudy Brown of Greenfield, Wisconsin; six sons: LeRoy of Mason City; Ernest of Nashua; Harry, David and John, all of Marble Rock; and Clare Jr. of Marshalltown. Surviving also are 28 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Evelyn Spivey and Gladys Leider, both of Rockford; and one brother, Fred Willsher of Phoenix, Arizona.

He leaves to join his wife who died on March 3, 1988; a son, Michael Willsher and wife, Barbara; two grandchildren, Daniel Edward and Heather Nicole; son-in-law, Wilbur Legg; his parents; one sister, Mildred Beth; and four brothers: Claude, George, Lynn and John.

[Nora Springs Advertiser, June 15, 1994]
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