Chad W. Clark
Friday, October 16, 2009 11:42 AM PDT
Chad W. Clark
Sept. 23, 1931 - Oct. 13, 2009
Fruitland
Chad W. Clark, 78, died at his Fruitland home, surrounded by his loved ones, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009, after a courageous two-year battle with cancer. A viewing for family and friends will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., today, Oct. 16, 2009, at Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, Fruitland, and from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. prior to services at the church. Funeral services will be 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Fruitland Third Ward. Committal Services will be 11 a.m., Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, at Georgetown Cemetery, Georgetown, Idaho. Condolences may be made to the family at
www.shaffer-jensenchapel.com. Chad was born in the home of his parents in Georgetown, Idaho, Sept. 23, 1931. He is the second son of LeGrand and Rhoda Lavina Clark. He grew up on Springdale Farm in Georgetown, which was homesteaded by his grandfather. There was hard work, but also exciting times on the ranch for a young boy to experience. As a youth he enjoyed working with livestock and participated in county fairs, rodeos and horse shows. His experiences as a young man led him and prepared him for the vocation he enjoyed throughout his later life. Between 1950 and 1953 Chad served a mission for the LDS Church in Mexico and Central America and developed a life-long love for the Spanish people and language and enjoyed his association with them. Chad attended Brigham Young University and received his B.S. Degree in Animal Husbandry in 1956. While there he met and married his sweetheart of 53 years, Karma Heaton, June 7, 1956, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Following their marriage, Chad and Karma moved to Ames, Iowa where he attended Iowa State University and received his M.S. Degree in Animal Reproduction — then on to Kansas State University, receiving his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1961. He practiced for a short time in Salt Lake City but found the city was not for him, so in 1962 the family relocated to Payette, Idaho, where he joined the Ashton Veterinary Clinic, which later became the Ashton-Clark Veterinary Clinic. He practiced Veterinary Medicine in Payette County and surrounding areas for 40 years. During those years, he received the Friends of 4-H Award, became an honorary member of the Fruitland Chapter of the FFA, served on the Fruitland School Board, the Farmers Mutual Telephone Board and the Idaho State Board of Veterinary Medicine. He enjoyed working with and teaching the youth who were involved in horse and livestock projects. Chad was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many capacities including Bishop of the Fruitland Ward for five years, Temple worker and Patriarch for the Ontario, Ore., Stake for the past 27 years – until his death. From 1998 to 2000, Chad and Karma served an LDS mission in the Baltic countries of Eastern Europe. Chad is survived by his wife Karma, Fruitland; his children, Keith (Shelly), Spokane, Wash., Scott (Carol) of Logan, Utah, Dean (Zlatuse) of North Salt Lake City, Utah; and Melanie Wilson of Cape Carol, Fla; his brother Don C. (Ellen) of Georgetown, Idaho; 12 grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He will be dearly missed, but his sweet spirit and example will linger in our hearts! In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Chad Clark Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, P.O. Box 730, Payette, Idaho 83661. The family would appreciate any memorable experiences or fond memories of Chad that you would care to share with the family please email them to
memoriesofchad@relia.net.
