George Ray Clawson 1925-2009

George Ray Clawson passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 12, 2009. He was born on September 28, 1925 to Ray Clawson and Veva Harker in Shelley, Idaho. He was raised in Charlo, Montana with his siblings Veva, Orilla, Marion, Rone, Jack, Myrtle and Beth. When he was 16 years old, his mother passed away so he lived with relatives in Shelley until his Aunt Leah invited him to be a part of her family. He called her his “second mother.” George’s father Ray later married Margaret Lieshman, combining his family with her six children. George left high school in order to serve his country in the United States Navy during World War II; Aunt Leah walked through the high school graduation line in his place. He was in the Pacific Theater on the USS Alhena (AKA 9) as a Motor Machinist Mate II. After the War in 1946, George was called on an LDS mission to New Zealand where he was greatly loved and was given the honored Maori name of “Korohana,” which means “Old Man” or a tribal leader. He learned to speak the Maori language and was later privileged to participate in the Maori LDS temple film. For many years he entertained audiences by doing Maori war dances (haka) and telling of his love of New Zealand and its people. Our family gatherings still include a haka. George met a beautiful blonde from Shelley, Idaho and pledged his love to her for all eternity. George married Helma “Margene” Andersen in the Idaho Falls Temple in 1951. He graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor’s degree in refrigeration and air conditioning. During college, George became a commissioned officer in the Air Force Reserves. The Clawsons lived in Salt Lake City, Bountiful and Spanish Fork, Utah before moving to Idaho, where they resided in Twin Falls and Hazelton, and then settled in Twin Falls. George was one of the first teachers hired by the new College of Southern Idaho. He taught refrigeration and air conditioning until he retired in 1991. He subsequently earned two Master’s degrees. Six children were born to George and Margene: Ron (Sharalee), Luan Zenk (Stan), Lynn (Connie), Arlene Madsen (Duff), Sally Richardson (Corky), Chad (Penny Buckland). He has 21 grandchildren and 4-1/2 great-grandchildren. George left a legacy of love for his posterity; he never doubted his testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and his children knew that. George served in many capacities in the LDS Church including Scoutmaster, Bishop, Counselor, Stake Mission President, Sunday School teacher, High Councilor and Priest’s teacher. George encouraged his children and grandchildren to gain an education and to serve missions. He was always a missionary and loved teaching the gospel; he would strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere, and it always led back to the Church. George and Margene served four missions together: Rapid City, South Dakota; Auckland, New Zealand; Cove Fort, Utah; and Palmyra, New York. George was a great advocate of the Boy Scouts. As Scoutmaster he helped several boys earn their Eagle rank. He was also advancement chairman and was awarded the Silver Beaver for his many years of scouting service. George loved being outdoors. He camped and fished whenever he had a chance. He loved watching his garden grow; on summer evenings you could always find him outside with his pants rolled up, pulling weeds and checking on his vegetables. He grew a huge garden and was eager to share his bounty with neighbors. George had twinkling eyes and an infectious smile. Four years ago he suffered a stroke during knee surgery and since that time has been cared for by his loving wife, Margene, who rarely left his side. Many thanks to all who have helped during these past few years with meals and rides and “grandpa-sitting services.” George is preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Veva and Beth and brother Jack. Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 17 at 10:00 a.m. at the LDS chapel on Hankins Road North, Twin Falls, Idaho, with a viewing beginning one hour prior to the services. On Friday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. friends and family will be welcome at Parke’s Funeral Home. Interment will be in Goshen, Idaho following services. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Boy Scouts of America, the Church Missionary Fund, or the Perpetual Education Fund. We love you Dad.

Following is the Life Sketch prepared and delivered by Arlene at the funeral. She read the obituary and then continued with the following:

George had twinkling eyes and an infectious smile. Dad was always happy. He wanted others to be happy too, from his family down to the nurses at the Doctors Office. Whenever anyone asked how he was doing his stand up answer was “Terribly Good!” Then he would ask the nurse, Have I ever told you why Fire Engines are red?

Family vacations and reunions were very important to dad. He wanted us to know our heritage and made sure that we attended reunions with his family as well as moms family. One other reunion we attended was with the returned missionaries from New Zealand—we called it Hui tau. These reunions brought us closer to family and to the Maori culture. Vacations included trips to Montana, Yellow Stone, and Zion’s. Alturas Lake Camping and fishing—that was his idea of fun and was his favorite family activity. Singing songs on the long drive—“I Walked Around Charlo,” “Toity Poiple Boids,” “Catalina Matalina” and so on. He always seemed to manage to find a place to buy a chocolate shake and a Snickers candy bar.

Dad was quite the scout and made sure his sons were involved, too. Dad was on his way with Sally and me to take Lynn to Scout camp. We had left Mom home who was 8 months pregnant with Chad, and Ron who was dying in bed from having his wisdom teeth pulled getting ready for his mission, and Luan who wasn’t much of a camper. Sally and I were so excited because we were going to get to sleep in a cabin, and fix pancakes with blueberry syrup for breakfast and dad was going to fish for a few hours in the morning. We were just returning to the cabin from dropping Lynn off at Camp Bradley when we received word that Mom was in the hospital and had had the baby. There wasn’t much that stopped dad from a good day of fishing, so I knew dad was worried because we packed up right then and headed home even though it was late at night. We found out that it was a boy. I didn’t understand the gravity of the situation, but only sulked in the back of the car because I had a baby brother not a baby sister.

Both Luan and Sally served missions. They both remembered receiving scratch and sniff letters from Dad. He would put a thumb print of the cherry pie, or whatever mom was cooking at the time on the letter and told them to scratch and sniff it to find out what she had fixed for dinner. Ron, Lynn and Chad served missions as well. All of them remembered receiving wonderful letters of encouragement. He wrote them faithfully. Sally received a letter where he told her not to worry about the lack of baptisms she was having in her area. He said “You are there on your mission to convert people. If you are the only person who is converted, that’s okay.”

Dad trusted each of us kids to do what was right. When he told us to do something, we knew we had better do it. I even remember one time Ron and Lynn getting in trouble and both of them were bent over in the kitchen for a spanking with the yard stick. Then when Chad was a Junior in High School, Mom had gone to help me with a new baby leaving dad and Chad to fend for themselves. Chad wanted to go to the caves with two friends and spend the night. Dad told Chad, “You can go on two provisions. One, you don’t go off the road with the truck and second you don’t build a fire in the cave.” One of the friends’ dad told him the same, but the third boy (the one driving) didn’t get that information and took the truck off the road and got stuck in the dirt up to the axle. He also built a fire in the cave making it so they couldn’t get back in. Chad learned then that Dad knew what he was talking about!

Dad loved to work. That is just all there is to it. He was the first to volunteer at the Church Welfare Farm–taking us along with him. During the Building Fund days, he was there to help build the buildings even though he had been gone all week long working away from home. Dad always planted a garden that was big enough to feed our family plus some of the neighbors. He could be seen pulling the wagon with squash, corn, cabbage, and red potatoes up Highlawn to a few neighbors. His children were never left out of the harvest either; shucking corn, shelling peas, washing red potatoes, and bringing the last of the tomatoes and the squash into the garage before the big freeze. He even tried his hand at raising chickens. The boys got all the fun at the end chopping off their heads. He supported Chad and helped him raise a lamb for a 4-H project and then entered it in the County Fair. They did this two years in a row and then decided not to do it again because it was a lot of work. Then dad brought home another one the next year.

Dad was part of all our school activities and accomplishments--winning a white ribbon for a science fair project on electricity current, top honors for a social studies project in 2nd grade that was displayed in the glass showcase in the main hall, standing in line to register us for classes in High School and seeing that we were registered for college, several A’s on Algebra assignments, memorizing the times tables--6 eights are 48, 6 eights are 48.

Dad enjoyed basketball and football. He was a BYU fan and followed their successes. He liked local high school games as well. Or at least I think he did. He always came and supported me in drill team which was the half time entertainment. Or I thought that was why he was at the games. He taught us how to yell when it was appropriate, why the other team got the ball back, and why the referees were so mean to our team. He was the first one to volunteer to be the staff on hand for the CSI basketball games. We liked to go with him and watch him yell.

Dad loved to build things for the girls. Luan remembers that in Hazelton he built a playhouse for the back yard. He made a stove—it was pink with the burners painted on with silver paint, red knobs that turned and an oven that had racks and a door that opened. It had a sink too. It was a real baked-on enamel basin that you could fill with water and wash your play dishes. For Christmas she got a dish cupboard that he built and painted blue with yellow trim. He made cradles for our baby dolls. Granddaughters were beneficiaries of this talent as well. Dish cupboards and doll cradles. Grandsons received shelves with hooks so they could display their trophies, scout sash, and pinewood derby cars.

Dad was our super hero. He may not have been able to jump off the tallest building in a single bound, but he could sure build it, repair it or add on to it. He might not have been able to swoop down and rescue the damsel in distress, but he knew how to call upon the powers of Heaven with a Father’s Blessing. His eyes might not have been able to penetrate the steel wall, but his love penetrated your soul.

Dad was our Lehi—The Patriarch
Dad was our Nephi—I Will Go and Do What the Lord Commands
Dad was our Enos—A Man of Prayer
Dad was our Abinadi—Never Wavering, Standing Firm for Truth
Dad was our Ammon—A Great Missionary
Dad was our Captain Moroni—Leading his Family in Righteousness
Dad was our Lamoni—the Warrior King who Listened to the Spirit.
Dad was our Moroni—Exhorting all to follow the commandments and that through the power of the Holy Ghost, “ye may know the truth of all things.”

Thank you Dad for your example and your love. You will be missed, but your legacy lives on.

More pictures. . .

I believe the young picture here is when Dad was on his mission in New Zealand.


This is when he was in the Air Force Reserves as a commissioned officer.

Here of course, is our darling sailor boy with his "come hither" look.