WALK, Clarence R. (1922-2016)

WALK

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/2/2017 at 10:33:21

Clarence Roland Walk
(June 4, 1922 - November 12, 2016)

A Funeral Mass for Clarence Roland Walk, who passed away at the age of 94 on Saturday, November 12, will be held 10 a.m., Wednesday, November 16 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church with burial following in the I.O.O.F. Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Indianola.
Clarence was a member of the Greatest Generation and is a shining example of the American dream. He grew up on a farm in rural Lacona, IA during the height of the Great Depression. When duty called, he joined the United States Air Corps (US Air Force) and served in the Pacific. His unit was in final preparations to invade Japan had the war not come to a close. After returning home, he took a small loan from his father. From this loan, he built C.R. Walk Implement, a farm equipment dealership, which operated for over 54 years. When asked how he stayed in business that long, he answered “You have to be honest, because if you are not, sooner or later, it catches up with you.”
In 1955 Clarence married Betty Riehl. Together, they raised their four daughters. Clarence and Betty were founding members of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, and he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He belonged to the VFW and was very active in the American Legion, where he served as Post Commander for 2 years and led the building campaign for the Legion Hall. He and Betty volunteered at the Living History Farms, and he was on the building committee for the Veterans Memorial Swimming Pool.
Clarence was locally famous for his homemade ice cream. He enjoyed music, and spent many hours playing the organ. The perfect ending to a life well lived was a Cubs World Series win followed by a Trump Victory. Clarence will be dearly missed by all.
He is survived by his four daughters, Kathryn (Bill) Bruere, Mary (Patrick) Santiago, Jane (Steven) Martin, and Lisa (Jim) Olson, nine grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and his brother Louis (Kathy) Walk. He was preceded in death by his parents William & Veronica (Endres) Walk, his wife Betty in 1993, his sister Marcella Swatta, and his brothers Herb and Giles Walk.
Visitation will be at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church on Tuesday, November 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. with a reciting of the rosary at 7 p.m. This memorial is provided by Overton Funeral Home, 501 West Ashland Ave., Indianola, Iowa, [http://www.overtonfuneral.com/]