Martin H. CLARK

CLARK, MIKELSON, SHUBROOK, FREI, FONSECA, DURST, CHEVILLE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 11/29/2011 at 20:09:49

June 13, 1926 --- November 25, 2011

Martin H. Clark, 85, of Green Hills Retirement Community, Ames surrounded by his family, peacefully passed away on Friday, November 25th at Israel Family Hospice House following a courageous struggle with Parkinson's Disease (PD). The family will receive friends 3:00-6:00 p.m. Sunday Nov. 27 at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, Ames. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, at the Collegiate United Methodist Church, Ames, where he has been a member. A private internment will take place at a later date in Clarion.

Martin was born June 13, 1926, to Charles "Albert" Clark, Sr. and Sadie Lila Beatrice (Mikelson) Clark in Clarion. He was a meteorologist on the U.S.S. Princeton in the South Pacific during his two year enlistment in the U.S. Navy ('46-'48). He met his loving wife, of 59 years, LaRue (Delta Zeta '51) at Iowa State College where he was a FarmHouse Fraternity brother. He graduated in Animal Husbandry in 1951. They were married in Oakland on June 15, 1952. Martin & LaRue farmed near Kanawha with his parents until 1968. In 1970, Martin received his M.S. in Agricultural Education, from Iowa State University. He and his father were in the forefront of the introduction of Landrace hogs in Iowa and nationally. He served as President of the Iowa Landrace Association and held the first Landrace Auction west of the Mississippi River. He had a Grand Champion Sow at the National Landrace Type Conference, and three Grand Champion Boars at the Iowa State Fair ('52-'67). He also served as a judge for State and National Landrace Shows. Most of his career was spent working in and with agricultural cooperatives. He was an FFA and 4-H member, and a 4-H leader. Martin was named Kanawha Jaycee Outstanding Young Farmer. He was awarded an Iowa FFA State Farmer Degree and received two Honorary FFA Chapter Farmer Awards. He was a teacher and mentor to many people during his life. He had a passion for supporting and educating family farmers worldwide. During the 1990's he accepted 16 volunteer assignments to help organize and develop cooperatives in 10 countries spanning 4 continents. LaRue assisted him in five of these assignments.

Martin is survived by his wife, LaRue of Ames; son, Warren Clark (Fiona Shubrook) of Park Ridge, IL; two daughters, Karen (Phillip) Frei of Upper Saddle River, NJ and Susan Clark (Mark Fonseca) of Ames; and six grandchildren, Vanessa Clark of Philadelphia, PA; Brandon Clark of Kihei, Hawaii; Nicholas Frei of Montreal, Canada; Brian Frei of Upper Saddle River, NJ; Bridget Fonseca & Valerie Fonseca of Ames; his two sisters, Ruth Durst of Grand Island, NE; and Beth (Norman) Cheville of Ames; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, and brother, Charles Albert "Junior" Clark.

In lieu of flowers, Martin asked that memorials be given to FINCA which puts small loans (with a 97% repayment rate) directly into the hands of the working poor worldwide...helping people help themselves.

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