Lewis O Clift

CLIFT MCLARTY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/12/2010 at 21:42:52

Woodbury County History 1984

Lewis O and Elizabeth Jane McLarty Clift
By Dorothea C Hilts

Lewis O Clift, the oldest child of Samuel Burton ‘Burt’ Clift and Matilda Kochert Clift, was born on February 2, 1884, at Marr, Bethel Township, Monroe County, Ohio. At the age of four he came with his parents to Woodbury County, Iowa. His education was obtained in the one-room public schools, first at the ‘Hopper’ School near the Sugar Loaf east of Hornick, and later attending the Myer School northease of Holly Springs where the ‘Burt’ Clift family eventually settled.

Elizabeth Jane McLarty was born on September 24, 1880, at the farm home in Lum Hollow northwest of Smithland. She was the eighth child born to James McLarty (an immigrant from County Antrim, Northern Ireland) and Anne Ervin McLarty. Her birthplace was a homestead tract in Union County, South Dakota, fleeing form draught and the grasshopper plague. Elizabeth, with her brothers and sisters attended ‘College Corner’ one-room school, northwest of Smithland.

On January 20, 1909, Lewis O Clift and Elizabeth Jane McLarty were united in marriage at the bride’s home. They purchased a farm, the SW Quarter of Section 3 in Willow Township, Woodbury County, about 1 ½ miles north of Holly Springs where they were to reside for nearly 40 years. Lewis farmed grain crops and corn-fed western cattle during the winter. “Eliza’ Clift, as she was generally known, enjoyed working outdoors and raised big gardens, and canned great quantities of their produce.

The couple loved children but was married eight years before their daughter, Nina Elizabeth, was born. Sadly, she expired at the age of eight months.

Lewis had no doubt great hopes for an enlarged family circle as in 1918 he began construction of a large two story frame house. On September 7, 1918, a second daughter, named Ethel Matilda, was born. Two months later when news of the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, reached the farm, the carpenters and other construction workers leaped down from the house framework and took off for a day of celebration in town. Another daughter, Dorothea Maxine, was born on October 10, 1922, followed by a son, Carol Oscar, born on October29, 1925. The three Clift children attended and graduated from the Holly Springs Consolidated School.

Ethel completed an executive secretarial course at National Business Training School in Sioux City in 1937, and thereafter enjoyed a business career spanning 43 years. On September 19, 1947, in San Francisco, she married Edmund Gorham Phillips. They eventually settled in his home town, Morehead City, North Carolina, where he was a self-employed contractor. They had no children, E G Phillips died on 4 March 1977, and Ethel, now retired, continues to make her home at 1402 Arendell Street, Morehead City, North Carolina.

Dorothea Clift became a career teacher, attending Wayne State College, Wayne, Nebraska, and later Morningside College in Sioux City from which institution she obtained her Masters of Arts, Teaching. On June 11, 1947, she was united in marriage with James Arthur ‘Tim’ Hilts (a Sloan native) at the Lewis Clift farm home at Holly Springs. Following a career in the Navy, ‘Tim’ and Dorothea Hilts made their home on a farm southeast of Salix. The couple had two childen: 1-Brian Mark, born June 22, 1951, who married Tammy Lynn Rea. They have a son, Corey Joseph Hilts, born March 13, 1983. 2-Ronda Lea Hilts, born January 1, 1964, who attends the University of South Dakota at Vermillion.

Carol Oscar Clift following high school graduation served in the US Army Air Force. On August 28, 1948, he was united in marriage with Betty Lou Henry of Mapleton, Iowa.

At this time his parents, Lewis and Eliza retired to a home with a garden acreage in the town of Sloan.

Carol and Betty Clift had three children, 1-Denice Marie Clift, born on Noember 7, 1949. She attended the University of Northern Iowa and Morningside College. She is Assistant Controller for Cargo, Inc, and resides at 4427 Tyler Street, Sioux City. 2-Michael Douglas Clift, born July 29, 1953, was a high school and college scholarship track star. He earned his B.A. degree from the University of South Dakota at Vermillion. In 1981, he obtained his M.A. in Physical Education, Health, from the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley. On May 30, 1982, he married Ann Olcese of Blauvelt, New York. They reside at 904 S Walden Way, # 204, Auora, Colorado, and are employed in the Denver area. 3-LuAnn Renee Clift, born on January 11, 1964, is a student at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion. Carol Clift died in the prime of life on March 25, 1966. Betty, on August 11, 1971, remarried Bill Rich and they continue to reside on the Clift farm north of Holly Springs.

Lewis Oscar Clift died on March 4, 1955. Elizabeth survived him for 19 years, passing to her reward at the Billy Sunday Memorial Retirement Home on September 25, 1974, at the age of 93 years. They are buried in Willow Township Cemetery, where their son, Carol, was also laid to rest.

Our parents who walked to one-room schools in Woodbury County to obtain their education, instilled in us the virtures of hard work and perseverance, and lived to see their children and grandchildren partake of the American Dream achieving higher education and the comfortable life. Our debt to our pioneering forbearers is immeasurable.