Roger Kay Clark

     Roger Kay Clark, son of Richard (“Dick”) and Helen (Terwilliger) Clark was born on March 10, 1940 in Mason City, Iowa. He graduated from Garner High School and attended Iowa State University in Ames. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1963. He received his Professional Engineer license and Land Surveyor license. 

    After graduating from ISU, Roger enlisted in the Navy and attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, upon completion of which he was given the rank of Ensign. From there, he went to Port Hueneme, California, Hawaii, Guam, and eventually to Vietnam. He served three eight-month tours of duty at Da Nang and Chu Lai in Mobile Construction Battalions Three and Forty as a Seabee and attained the rank of Lieutenant.

    After serving in the Navy, Roger moved back to Iowa where he took a job as Assistant County Engineer in Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa. It was while working there that he met the love of his life, Janette “Janet” Evelyn Daufeldt. They were married on September 6, 1969, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Tipton.

    Less than two years later, Roger and Janet moved to Spencer when Roger was hired as Clay County Engineer. Following the move, they had two children: Nathan (1974) and Angelique (1976). He held the engineer position for 31 years until he retired in 2002.

    Roger was always a very hard worker, being employed from the time he was ten years old. Starting with working at the Red Owl grocery store, then working at the Garner movie theater, and working summers for Hancock County both during high school and university. He carried campus mail at the university and raised and lowered the flag each day at the main campus. He was an especially tireless worker on his farm both before and after his retirement. 

   Purchasing his first farmland in 1978, his farm was one of Roger’s passions. He most enjoyed raising cattle, and he always had at least some head between the early 1980s through the early 2010s. In 1994, Roger and Janet built a home on the property where he lived for the last 30 years of his life. It was the third new house that he and Janet had built, each time getting closer to the farm and nature.

  Roger was active and athletic nearly his whole life. He played all four sports his high school offered all four years, and he played a great deal of baseball. Into his 80s, he walked two miles per day on the road or treadmill. He also loved watching and talking about sports with family and friends.

  Roger was a fixture in bowling leagues and at the golf course for many years. He rolled many 300 games and was inducted into the Spencer Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 1995. But most of all he cherished the many friendships he made in leagues and traveling to tournaments. He also had wonderful friendships with his golf partners over the years.

  Roger, above all, was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and would do anything for them. He was always there to help them out, and he never missed their activities.

  Roger suffered a stroke on December 30th and passed away in hospice at the Spencer Hospital on January 7th. 

  Roger was preceded in death by his parents and seven brothers-in-law: Edward Daufeldt, Bud Daufeldt, Harley Daufeldt, Robert Ohrt, John Hocke, David Miller, and John Doring; and two sisters-in-law: Edna Miller and Joanne Daufeldt." Left to cherish his memory are his wife Janet of rural Greenville, his son Nathan (Aimee) Clark of Spencer, his daughter Angelique (Darrel) Santage of Royal, and his beloved grandchildren: Dylan Santage and his fiancée Lilli of Norfolk, Nebraska, Hayley Santage, and Sydney Clark, his sister Patricia Doring and five sisters-in-law: Frieda Hocke of Muscatine, Judy Ohrt of Tipton, LeeAnne (Curt) Smith of Stanwood, Alice Daufeldt of Tipton, and Anita Daufeldt of Tipton, and many nephews, nieces and friends.