Yuma County, Colorado
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Yuma County Pioneer Photographs:

James W. and Helen (Crall) Clark

, Laird

In 1860 Wayne County, Iowa, William "Crawl" is 36 born in Maryland, with Eliza 36 in Indiana. William 15 and Isabel 8 were born in Missouri America A. and Amanada 1 in Iowa.

In 1870 Wright, Wayne County, Iowa, Helen is 9, with William and Eliza Crall, both 46. Isabel Ramy is 17, working out, America A. crall 13, Amanda 11, Helen 9, and Malinda 6, all four born in Iowa.

Amanda Crall married W. H. Branham on December 3, 1874 in Wayne County.
She's buried in Lucas County 1859-1953 # 78808119.

Malinda S. Crall, 23, married Thomas C. Waterhouse on October 10, 1888 in Chariton, Lucas County.

William 1824-1872 is buried in New York Cemetery, Millerton, Wayne COunty.

Helen Crall, 17, married James W. Clark in Wright Iowa on July 4, 1878.

In 1895 Wayne County, Iowa, James is 40, Hellen E. 32, Gilbert 14, Goldie A. 10, George C. 7, Guy E. 4,a nd Ethel M. newborn.

In 1900 Lucas County, Iowa, James is a blacksmith, 45, with Helen 38, Gilbert 19, Goldie 16, Guy 10, Ethel 6, Lester 4, and William 1.

In 1910 Yuma County, James is 55, married 33 years to Helen 48, Ethel 16, Lester 13, William 11, and Everett 6 all born in IOwa.

February 6, 1913 "Wilson Davis gave his many friends a genuine surprise last week when he arrived from Iowa with a bride. Mr. Davis has been visiting in the East for about a month, but no one suspected what the attraction was until he returned with his bride. Mrs. Davis was Miss Ethel Clark, daughter of James Clark who resides north of Laird. Mr. Davis also has ranch in the Sand Hills and has known Miss Clark for some time although it was not generally known that the two were more than friends. Mr. Davis is at present proprietor of the pool hall here and he and his wife have rooms at the Laird hotel."


January 21, 1915 "The Laird blacksmith shop changed hands last Saturday, J. W. Clark having sold the property and good will to Richard Manley of Arapahoe, Neb., who is said to be a fine workman, and has the appearance of a good citizen. The conveyances passed through the office of Judge Palmer."

James proved up 280 acres in sections 4 and 5, 2N 42W in 1916.

In 1920 James is still a blacksmith, in Hitchcock County, Nebraska 65, with Helen E. 58, William B. 20, and Ernest J. 16.

James is buried in Lucas County, Iowa # 43920414

"James W. Clark, for many years a resident of Lucas county, died at his home near Oakley on Monday, September 10, 1934, at the age of 80 years, 1 month and 7 days, after an extended illness with throat trouble.
Funeral services, conducted by Elder James Robinson, of Lacona, were held at the Oakley M. E. church on Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock, with burial in the Mt. Zion cemetery.
James W. Clark, son of Mathew and Sarah Clark, was born at Fairfield, Iowa, on August 3, 1854. His father, a civil war veteran, died when James was quite young from wounds he received while in the service.
At an early age, James went to Wellsville, Ohio, where he worked in the railroad shops, later learning the blacksmith trade. He continued in this work until about two years ago, when his health failed.
In 1878, James was married to Miss Helen Crall, who survives him. To this union eight children were born, of whom six are living. They are Gilbert Clark and Mrs. Goldie Burgett, of Oakley; Mrs. Ethel Davis of Trenton, Nebr.; Lester Clark of Ft. Morgan, Colo.; Bud Clark of Des Moines; and Everett of Mesa, Arizona. One son, Columbus, passed away in 1896, and another son, Guy, was killed in an explosion in Nebraska in 1929.
Besides his wife and children he leaves twelve grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and two brothers, Emmett of Grinnell, Iowa and George of Wellsville, Ohio, and many other relatives and many friends, his friends being numbered by his acquaintances.
Although his sufferings were intense he bore them uncomplainingly, and was always cheerfull until death came to end his sufferings. He will be sadly missed, not only by his family but by all in the community where he had lived so long."

Helen is widowed in 1940 Lucas County, living alone.

Helen is buried in Lucas County # 43920481.
" Helen E. Clark, daughter of William and Eliza Crall, was born June 3, 1861, in Wayne county, Iowa and departed this life August 16, 1946, at the age of 85 years, two months and 13 days, following an extended illness at the home of her daughter in Oakley, Iowa.
She was united in marriage July 4, 1878, to James W. Clark, who preceded her in death September 10, 1934. To this union eight children were born.
During early life, she affiliated with the Methodist church and continued a faithful worker in the church departments. She spent her entire life in Iowa with the exception of a few years in Nebraska.
Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Goldie Burgett and Mrs. Ethel Davis, of Oakley; two sons, Bud Clark of Phoenix, Arizona and Everett E. Clark, of Tucson, Arizona; one sister, Mrs. Amanda Branham, of Russell, also fifteen grandchildren and a large circle of other relatives and friends who will miss her from their midst.
Funeral services, conducted by the Rev. Paul Beals, were held at the Oakley church Sunday, August 18, at 2 o'clock. Interment was made in the Mt. Zion cemetery"

Guy Clark, born Jan. 8, 1890, to James W. and Helen E. (Crall) Clark, had grown up in the Oakley neighborhood northwest of Chariton and was a barber by trade. He had married Lura Fletcher and they became the parents of two sons, Gerald and Bernard.
Until the fall of 1927, Guy had been working at the Lincoln Barber Shop, co-located with the Lincoln Theater on the first floor of the three-story Temple Building on the south side of the square, so-called because the Knights of Pythias club rooms, or "temple," occupied elaborate quarters on the top floor.
During September of 1927, the family relocated to Scribner, Nebraska, today a town of some 850 souls located northwest of Omaha in Dodge County. Guy opened his own shop on Main Street there. A veteran volunteer firefighter in Chariton, one of his first acts in Scribner was to join that city's volunteers, too.
Nearly everyone in Scribner was in bed and sound asleep when the fire alarm rang through its streets just before 11 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, 1929. Firefighters scrambled out of bed, rushed to the fire station and then headed to the Carl Hollander farmstead, located on the edge of town and consisting of a house and various outbuildings, including a small barn that was ablaze.
A couple of hundred spectators dressed themselves more carefully and headed to the scene either out of curiosity or a desire to be helpful.
Hollander was chairman of the Dodge County Board of Supervisors and what no one else in Scribner knew going into that night was that some time earlier a shipment of 10 cases of dynamite, between 250 and 500 pounds (estimates vary), had arrived and had been stored in the barn that now was burning. The commissioners planned to use the dynamite to break up spring ice jams on the Elkhorn River, which flows through Dodge County.
Hollander was at the home of a neighbor when the fire was discovered and according to some reports he rushed home and attempted to warn the firefighters. One account states that he ran toward them yelling, "Dynamite, be careful, dynamite!" According to another account, he arrived on the scene and reassured the firefighters that the dynamite would not explode because the caps were stored elsewhere --- that the fire would just burn out.
Whatever the case, at 11:18 p.m., a massive white flash illuminated the Nebraska night sky and a blast reportedly heard as far away as Fremont, some 25 miles distant, obliterated the burning barn and nearby buildings, shattered windows across Scribner and sent debris and bodies flying high into the air.
Four firefighters were killed outright --- Guy Clark, age 39; Gus Pittack, 26, assistant postmaster; Fred Felcner, 22, a feed and grain merchant; and Harry Wibbels, 24, an auto mechanic. Two others died after they had been carried from the scene: William F. Strube, 34, a garage owner; and Arthur Schoeneck, 25, a truck driver.
In addition, 40-60 firefighters and bystanders were injured, sustaining burns, injuries related to the concussion and wounds caused by flying debris. A nail reportedly was driven into the heart of one firefighter who survived --- and lived to be 100 with the nail still in place.
Only a hole in the ground remained where the barn once had stood, so a cause for the fire that set off the blast never was determined. An automobile had been parked in the barn when the fire broke out and some speculated that faulty wiring had started a fire that ignited the gas tank, resulting in flames of sufficient intensity to set off the dynamite.
Scribner had a hospital at the time, where the dead, dying and injured were taken. But it was overwhelmed. The town's two physician worked through the night, treating the injured. Beds were carried in from nearby homes. Dr. A.C. Stokes, head of the Omaha chapter of the American Red Cross, arrived before daybreak on Friday with six nurses to help out. Eight other physicians from nearby towns also arrived to help treat the injured before dawn or later on Friday morning.
The dead were taken to the undertaking rooms at the Arthur Furniture Store.
Guy Clark's funeral was held on Saturday afternoon in Scribner, then his remains were placed on board a train for the trip --- with his family --- to Chariton, arriving Saturday night at the C.B.&Q. Depot.
On Sunday afternoon, a second funeral service was held at First Christian Church in Chariton and Clark's body, accompanied by an honor guard of firefighters, was taken to the Chariton Cemetery for interment.


Goldie married William Wilburn Clark, living in Omaha, Nebraska most of their life.
She died in Omaha in 1962, per one tree.

Ethel Mae Davis, daughter of James Willard and Helen Elizabeth Crall Clark, was born March 3rd, 1893 in Wayne County, Iowa and passed away May 3rd, 1983 at the Chariton Manor where she had resided the past three years.
Ethel grew up in Oakley, Iowa and graduated from the Chariton High School. She attended the Methodist Church.
On January 30th, 1913 she married Wilson Davis in Chariton, Iowa. They moved to Holyoke, Colorado where they resided for several years. In 1918, they moved to Trenton, Nebraska where they lived until 1940.
In 1924, they took her nephew, Charles Clark, age three, into their home to raise.
They moved to Oakley, Iowa in 1940 where they farmed for a number of years before they opened a grocery store and service station there.
Preceding her in death were her husband, Wilson, her parents, and six brothers and one sister.
Survivors include her nephew Charles Clark and wife Norma of Payson, Arizona; and two great-nephews and their wives, Gene and Betty Burgett and family and Byron and Mollie Voss and family, all of Chariton. Also Willard Clark and wife of Central City, Nebraska and many other nieces, nephews and a host of friends.
Services were held at Fielding Funeral Home on May 7, with the Rev. Gene Koth presiding. Interment was at Mt. Zion Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Frank Gillaspy, Paul Sheldon, Russ Mikesell, Paul Peterson, Bill Welch and Vernard Oxenreider.

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