Mrs. George W. Clarke, the wife of the Governor of Iowa, was born at Adel, Jany. 16, 1857, her maiden name being Arletta Greene.  She is the daughter of Benjamin Greene and Parmelia Catherine Sturges, who came to Adel in 1847 when there were only two or three families there.  The settlement was called Penoach and later Mr. Greene gave the town the name Adel.

Mrs. Clarke was educated at the Oskaloosa College with the degree M. S.  She was married on June 25, 1878, at Adel to George W. Clarke, a young attorney who had just graduated from the Law Dept. of the State University .  Their home is still in Adel.  He was a member of the Iowa legislature for four terms and was speaker of the house for two additional terms.  He was elected Lieut. Governor in 1908, and in 1912 became Governor, and he is a very popular executive.

Four children have been born in them:  Fred Greene Clarke, Charles F. Clarke, Portia Clarke Van Meter and Francis Ada Clarke.  Mrs. Clarke is a member of the Christian church and has been a Sunday school teacher and an active worker in the Missionary Society for many years.  She is an interested club woman in her home town and in Des Moines where they reside a part of the year.  She is a member of the Civic Service and Social Reform committee of the I. F. W. C. and is an earnest advocate of equal suffrage.  She is a charming woman socially and in every way Graces her position as the First Lady of the commonwealth.

Page 9.

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The Blue Book of Iowa Women;
A History of Contemporary Women
Edited and Compiled by Winona Evans Reeves
Press of the Missouri Printing and Publishing Company, Mexico , Mo. , 1914