He was born June 25, 1923, near Stockton, the son of Oscar and Maude (Coleman) Clark. He had lived in rural Valley Falls since 1962.

Mr. Clark served in the U.S. Army during World War II until he was medically discharged. He was a heavy equipment operator and soil conservation worker his entire life. He was the former owner and operator of ClarkâÂÂs Construction and Soil Conservation Co. He was also a stockman and farmer for many years and had worked at Goodyear Tire Co. in Topeka for five years.

He married LaRita Inez Lux on Aug. 5, 1947, in Alma. She died March 8, 1998.

Survivors include three sons, Laverne and Darone âÂÂD.D.âÂÂ, both of Valley Falls, and Steve, Buffalo, S.D.; two daughters, Maralyn Boyce, Topeka, and Carolyn Thompson, Nortonville; three brothers, Vernon, West Covina, Calif., Aaron, Yuma, Ariz., and Robert âÂÂBenny,â Hemet, Calif.; eight sisters, Eva Biery, Oskaloosa, Vis Hasty, Canon City, Colo., Louise Randolf and Elenora White, both of Klamath Falls, Ore., Margaret Kerr, New Port Richey, Fla., Ruth Colgrove, Pacific Beach, Wash., Naomi Maddox, Valley Falls, and Christa Dunfee, Aberdeen, Md.; 13 grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials to ChildrenâÂÂs Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., sent in care of the funeral chapel, P.O. Box 331, Meriden 66512.