Clark Feller (1947-2021)

FELLER, DINKLA

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/9/2021 at 23:05:04

Clark Feller (born Clarence Raymond Dinkla) was born in Oelwein, Iowa on April 3, 1947 to Shirley McSweeny Dinkla and the late Clarence R. Dinkla. His father, Clarence, passed away unexpectedly a couple of months before Clark was born. Shirley married Bruce Feller in 1949 and Clark grew up on the Feller farm just south of Victor, IA. He graduated from Hartwick/Ladora/Victor (HLV) High School in 1965 and joined the Air Force where he spent most of his active duty in Hawaii. After the service, he attended Indian Hills Community College where he graduated with an Associates' Degree in Applied Science. Clark worked in law enforcement as a Deputy Sheriff, a dispatcher for Iowa Police Radio and as a prison guard. He also spent a year working in Greenland. He was a licensed aeronaut and became a hot air balloon pilot for Happy Joe's Pizza Parlor where he enjoyed taking his friends and family for rides. He moved to California where he spent the rest of his adult career driving trucks for JB Hunt & Company. He was recently awarded the Two Million Mile Safe Driver Award for being accident free.

CR, as he was known by his family, never knew a stranger. He was well-respected and loved by all who knew him. His hearty laugh, wonderful "dry" sense of humor and one-liners always kept everyone in the room entertained. He was a cancer survivor and devout Christian who enjoyed going to several local churches. He worked as an advocate for AIDS patients. He enjoyed his coffee-shop friends who were like family to him. He was excellent at remembering dates and was well known for never forgetting someone's birthday. His friends and family could always count on a birthday greeting from CR! He enjoyed spending his spare time on trips to Iowa to visit his family. He loved old farm implements, especially old Allis Chalmers tractors, and often traveled to Montana where he regularly attended the annual Threshing Bee and Tractor Shows and was a member of their club.

Clark was preceded in death by his father Clarence Dinkla, his mother Shirley Feller and her husband Bruce Feller. He is survived by his brother Blair Dinkla Feller, sister Bernie Feller McGuire and brothers Bruce, Lou, Kurt and Bob Feller, his Uncle Glen and Aunt Dorsey Dinkla along with several nieces, nephews and lots of cousins. A full military honors burial will be held later in the summer. He will be buried in the cemetery next to his beloved grandparents (Remmer and Bertha Dinkla) in Franklin Lutheran Cemetery across the road from First Evangelical Lutheran Church at 70139 Memphis Rd., located south of Wiota, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that honorariums be sent to the CLARK FELLER MEMORIAL FUND, % of Blair Feller, 2273 Sun Stone Place, New Braunfels, TX 78130.