Clarence Gustafson

Clarence Leonard "Short" Gustafson was born February 10, 1921 on a farm near Griswold, Iowa, and was called home to heaven by his Lord Jesus on April 16, 2010. He was the second son of Leonard and Agnes (Nord) Gustafson. Clarence was baptized into the Christian faith on December 10, 1921 in Red Oak and was later confirmed in that faith at St. John's Lutheran Church northwest of Adair by Rev. W. K. Kautz in 1943. Over the years he served that church as elder, treasurer, trustee, and on the cemetery board.

Clarence spent his early youth on a farm near Marne and then moved with his family to a farm east of Adair in 1934. He was married to Doris Faga on Sept. 30, 1942 and they were blessed with six children. They farmed all their married life and still own the farm 3 miles northwest of Adair they purchased in 1958. They moved into Adair in 1987.

Short was a horseman all his life, growing up farming with horses, and later raised many good saddle horses. Prior to retiring from the farm, he purchased a team of Belgian draft horses and for many years farmed about 25 acres with those horses and collected a complete line of horse drawn machinery. He won or placed second in many plowing matches at Living History Farm and at the Amana Colonies.

Survivors include his wife Doris of Adair, 3 sons, Gary (Marcia) of Slater, Neil of LaGrande, Oregon, Dan of Casey, 2 daughters, Sandy Chavez of Papillion, Nebraska, and Sally (Mike) DuHoux of Atlantic, 10 grandchildren, 4 step-grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, 10 step great grandchildren, his brother Glen of Adair, 3 cousins raised by his parents, Helen Thomas and Sylvia Nord of Libertyville, Illinois, Norma Wedemeyer of Guthrie Center, and by a sister-in-law, Margaret Gustafson of Atlantic. Clarence is also survived by 4 brothers-in-law he cherished as dear friends, and by many nieces and nephews and other family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister Goldie Johnson, a brother Alfred Gustafson, a son Dean Gustafson, a daughter-in-law Nancy (McLuen) Gustafson, and a sister-in-law Darlene (Tibben) Gustafson.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, April 19, 2010, at St. John's Lutheran Church north of Adair, Iowa, with burial in the St. John's Lutheran Cemetery north of Adair.

Visitation with family present will be from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., Sunday, April 18th at the Hockenberry Funeral Home in Adair.

Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Adair, Iowa is in charge of arrangements.