Clifton Hale

Clifton Hale, age 94, of Fargo, ND, formerly of Carrington, ND, died Wednesday, April 8, 2009, at Good Samaritan Center in Barnesville, MN with his wife, Nora and two daughters, Louise and Della, at his side.

Clifton Hale was born on May 19, 1914, the son of Terry and ElMay Hale, and grew up on a farm near Bordulac, ND. He attended school in a country school from 1st grade to 8th grade, later moving to Carrington with his parents, two brothers and three sisters, where he would live, work, raise his family and reside for 65 years.

He met and married a young woman, Nora I. LeMay from Carrington on October 28, 1936, at Carrington. They recently celebrated their seventy-second anniversary.

Over the years, he held many jobs. As a young man, he started picking potatoes for a whopping 3 cents a bushel in Carrington, drove truck in the iron ore mines in MN, and hauled gravel and grain in ND. During the war, Clifton worked as a mechanic on P51 fighter planes at North American Aviation in CA. While residing in CA, he shared a partnership business/part owner of a 28’ fishing boat.

In 1947, they moved back to Carrington with a family of four children. By 1950, Clifton and Nora were a family of seven. Clifton started with Tri-county Electric, where he worked as a line foreman for 31 years until his retirement in 1979.

Clifton was a member of the Federated Church for many years until moving to CA in the early 1980’s. He loved fishing, hunting duck and deer. Playing billiards became one of his favorite past times, proudly earning 1st place many times in competition.

Clifton finally retired and made preparations to travel. Proud owners of a new truck and 35’ 5th wheel trailer, they began traveling around the US, finally settling in Hemet, CA. They always loved dancing and joined the square dancing arena in their newly found environment, where they spent many years – a new life – new friendships and dancing. Although they loved CA, they never severed their ties to ND, eventually coming back to “retire again� residing in Fargo, ND.

He was a great family man, loved his children and grandchildren, always entertaining all with his many collected jokes and quips, which we heard many times, over and over! He loved life and wanted to live to the ripe “young� age of 100. He nearly made it- he would have been 95 years old this May.

Clifton is survived by his wife, Nora, Fargo, ND; five children, Vern (Betty) Hale, Laguna Niguel, CA, Louise (Tim) Shortell, Arcadia, CA, Ronald (Rosella) Hale, Ontario, CA, Gary (Joyce) Hale, Beaumont, CA, Della (Ken) Hagen, Fargo, ND; seventeen grandchildren, Kelly, Ky, Corey, Laura, Scott, Jeffrey, Bryan, Christopher, Kimberly, Brandi, Roni, Danielle, Nicole, Matthew, Sarah, Jenny, and Ryan; twenty great- grandchildren, Joseph, Natalie, Katelyn, Jacob, Austin, Morgan, Shawn, Max, Haley, Nicholas, Megan, Jenny, Emily, Casey, Christian, Kory, Farrah, Leif, Lauren, and Will.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Terry and ElMay; two brothers, Harold and Louis; three sisters, Ruth Smith, Arlene Ratts, Ida Leah Bryan; and two grandchildren, Todd and Paul.

 


Funeral Service: Federated Church UCC/UMC, Carrington, ND

Date and Time: Friday, April 17, 2009 at 2:00 PM

Interment: Carrington Cemetery



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