Willard D. SHARP

SHARP, MATTISON, COOK, SWEET, HENSON, JONES, PATTON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/4/2015 at 18:04:07

December 9, 1913-- September 5, 1989

IOWA -- Willard D. Sharp, 75, of Clarion, retired Great Western Railroad engineer after 39 years; former chairman, state Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Stroke, Tuesday at home.

USA TODAY - Arlington, VA
September 8, 1989

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Willard D. Sharp, 75, lifelong Clarion resident, died at him home on Tuesday afternoon, September 5, 1989. Death was from a stroke. Funeral services were held from the United Church of Christ Congegational on Friday morning at eleven o'clock. Rev. Jerald G. Swanberg officiated and burial was in Evergreen Cemetery. There was a masonic service at the Eyler-Willim Funeral Home on Thursday evening. JoAnn Olson was the organist. Casket bearers were; Jim Gangestad, Dale Patton, Jon Sweet, Randy Sharp, Frank Tourtelotte and Ben Urban.

Willard was born at Clarion on December 9, 1913 and was the son of George W. and Maude Ann Mattison Sharp. He graduated from Clarion High School in 1933. While in school he was on the Clarion Championship Football team and finished first at 185 lbs. in the State Wrestling Tournament his junior and senior years. He attended the University of Dubuque for two years. He and Grace E. Cook were married at Rockwell, Maryland on January 2, 1935. They came to Clarion in 1936 and he started with the Great western Railroad. He was an engineer and retired in 1975. While with the railroad, he served 18 years as the local chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

Survivors include his wife, Grace of Clarion, two daughters; Carolyn Sweet of Ely, Ia. and Janet Henson of Burnett, Texas, two sons Frank of Tucson, Az. and George of Boone, eleven grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, three brothers; Ernest and Donald of Clarion, Ralph of Des Moines and two sisters; Mabel Jones of Kansas City, Mo. and Esther Patton of Humboldt. His parents, four brothers and two grandchildren preceded him in death.

Willard was a member of the United Church of Christ Congregational. He also belonged to the following masonic bodies; Cyrene Lodge No. 325, AF & AM, Clarion, Mt. Lebanon Comandry and Master Masons of Eagle Grove and Ada Chapter 136, Order of Eastern Star at Clarion.

Wright County Monitor - Clarion, Iowa
September 14, 1989