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Obits > 1941 - Clyde E. McKenzie

Submitted by Martin Glassburn

Page 6

Clyde E. McKENZIE, Tampico Member of County Board, Dies

Clyde E. McKENZIE, 49, passed away at 6:30 Thursday morning at his home in Tampico following a heart attack. He had been ailing for the past several years, but had been felling fairly well of late. His death comes with a sudden shock to his many intimate friends who were legion. Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:30. Burial will be in the Tampico cemetery.

Wednesday afternoon Mr. McKENZIE suffered a severe attack and gradually grew weaker until he passed away. An accumulation of business affairs had made it impossible lately for him to get the proper amount of rest he had been advised to take. He will be truly missed by his beloved wife, his constant companion; his father-in-law, T. F. DILLON, who resides in the LINTON home in Sterling; his daughter, Mrs. Neil GLASSBURN; and many other relatives and friends. His passing will leave a void not only in his own community, but among his many local friends. They don't come any better than Clyde McKENZIE.

He was born July 2, 1892 in Tampico, the son of Lovina E. WEST and Raymond Havens McKENZIE. He attended the Tampico schools and the Aurora business college. Nov. 4, 1913, he was united in marriage with Ila DILLON at Morrison. Following their marriage they spent four years at the McKENZIE farm near Yorktown and four years in Chicago. Since that time he had been engaged in the automobile business in Tampico.

Led An Active Life

Mr. McKENZIE was a member and past master of Yorktown Lodge, No. 655, A. F. & A. M., or Tampico. He was a member of the board of education of the Tampico high school, serving as clerk, a position he had held for a number of years. As a member of Whiteside county board of supervisors he was on the bovine tuberculosis committee. He was also a member of the right-of-way committee in connection with the Hahnaman-Tampico road .

As a member of the Tampico volunteer fire department he did much work toward the betterment of fire protection of his home town. He was identified with the Tampico Church of Christ and Boy Scouts.

Always particularly interested in athletics of the community he conducted amateur boxing show for a couple years in Tampico before becoming matchmaker for the Sterling Gyro club, who sponsored boxing shows for several years at the Sterling coliseum. As a matchmaker he was a natural and the hundreds of close and thrilling bouts staged by the Sterling Gyros was the result of his keen interest in the affairs.

Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Marjorie, wife of Neil GLASSBURN; a grandson, Raymond Douglas; a sister, Mrs. Fern GILLETTE; and a brother, Roy E. McKENZIE, both of Tampico. His parents passed away a number of years ago. His son-in-law, Neil GLASSBURN, wife and son, left Sterling a week ago for Phoenix, Ariz., on account of Mr. GLASSBURN'S health. They are expected home tonight or Friday.

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 PROMINENT RESIDENT TAKEN BY DEATH

Clyde E. McKenzie Died at His Home Thursday Morning From Heart Attack

A large congregation of relatives and friends gathered at the Methodist church Sunday afternoon at 2:30 to pay their last respects to Clyde E. McKENZIE, who passed away from a heart attack at his home here last Thursday morning. Every seat in the church was filled, a large number were seated in the basement at the church and in their care outside and many stood in the churchyard. All were able to hear the service by means of a public address system.

Rev. Kenneth HANSON, pastor of the Church of Christ, read the scripture and offered prayer. During the service John WARD of Sterling sang, "In My Father's House Are Many Mansions" and " That Sweet Story of Old." He was accompanied by Mrs. R. F. Woods.

Rev. L. B. BEALS paid a beautiful tribute to Mr. McKENZIE to which he spoke of friendship as the important basic of life. He use (sic) the quotation, "By their fruits ye shall know them," and told of the many friends Mr. McKENZIE had in every walk of life, both young and old, and of his many interests in county and community affairs. He closed with the plea that we all join in making a better world through friendship.

Members of the Yorktown Lodge A. F. & A. M. and many others from neighboring lodges, the Tampico Volunteer Fire Department, board of Supervisors, board of education of the Tampico High School, the Gyro Club at Sterling and Boy Scouts attended the services in a body.

Burial was in the Tampico Memorial cemetery where the Masonic funeral rites were held. The Masons, Firemen and Boy Scouts marched from the home  to the church and from the church to the cemetery. Pallbearers were William HENRICKS and L. B. WOOD of Sterling, Jesse ******* of Prophetstown *********DAVIS, E. W. VICKREY and Edward FULLERTON.

Ladies in charge of the flowers which were many and beautiful were Mrs. Edward FULLERTON, Mrs. Hubert DARBY, Mr. R. M HOCKMAN,  Mrs. Tracy LAW, Mrs. Irving CLAY, Miss Genevieve STEADMAN, Mrs. H. J. KOLB, Miss Dorothy CAIN, and Mrs. Harry HURD, Jr. wives and sisters of firemen.

 Among the relatives from out of town who attended the services were Mrs. Beulah RACHMEYER and sons Elden and Bill and Mrs. Dana MILGATE of Aurora; Mr. and Mrs. Dale KELLY and Mr. and Mrs. Glen BROOKS of Sterling; Mr. and Mrs. Jay CANTLIN and daughter Marion of Rock Falls; Mr. and Mrs. Claude FRARY, Mrs. Bruce FRARY and son Don, Mrs. Coretta GOBLE and Frank WEST of Prophetstown; Ralph McKENZIE of Sterling, Colo.; Mr. and Mrs. John McKENZIE and son of Yorktown.

Clyde E. McKENZIE, son of Lovina E. WEST and Raymond HAVENS McKENZIE, was born in Tampico, July 2, 1892. He attended the Tampico schools and the Aurora business college. On Nov. 4, 1913, he was united in marriage to Illa DILLON at Morrison. The first four years following their marriage they farmed the MKENZIE farm near Yorktown after which they spent four years in Chicago. Since that time Mr. McKENZIE had been engaged in the automobile business in Tampico.

His outside interests were many and varied. He was a member and past master of Yorktown Lodge No. 655 A. F. & A. M. of Tampico and a ember of the board of education of the Tampico high school and had held the position of secretary for a number of years. He was a member of the Whiteside county  board of supervisors and served on the bovine tuberculosis committee. He was also a member of the right-of-way committee in connection with Tampico-Hahnaman road now under construction.

He was a member of the Tampico Volunteer Fire Depart ment and was one of the three oldest in years of service. He was identified with the Tampico Church of Christ and had been an interested worker in the Boy Scouts. Mr. McKENZIE was also a former member of the Village Council.

Interested in sports he had always taken an active interest in community athletic events. He conducted amateur boxing shows in Tampico for about two years after which he became matchmaker for the Sterling Gyro Club, who sponsored boxing matches in the coliseum for several years.

He is survived by his wife and his daughter, Mrs. Neil GLASSBURN, his grandson, Raymond Douglas, a brother, Roy E. McKENZIE and a sister, Mrs. Fern GILLETTE, both of Tampico. Mrs. GLASSBURN, who had gone to Phoenix, Ariz., with her husband and to Chicago, arriving Friday morning. She was met at the airport by Mr. and Mrs. Howard RASMUSSEN who brought her home.

We know of no finer tribute to Mr. McKENZIE than that given by Van PATRICK, sports director of station WHBF, Rock Island, over that station last Thursday evening and which is published below by special permission. "A few nights ago it was our privilege to be present at a banquet sponsored by the Tampico Business Association to honor the Tampico softball team which won the championship in the class B division of WHBF's Mississippi Valley softball tournament this year.

"It was quite a gala evening. The hundred persons present, like myself, enjoyed a fine meal and then settled back to forget the cares of a trouble-filled world while abandoning themselves in the quips and wit of their friend and sports enthusiast - Clyde E. McKENZIE who was serving as toastmaster.

"Throughout the evening he singled out person  after person for a few words after complimenting the object of his introductions for the person's contribution - however large or small - to the success of the Tampico softball team. We couldn''t help but notice his happiness in this atmosphere of mutual enthusiasm over the success  of the softball team. The hates of the outside world  seemed as remote as the inevitable friction that must have marked the toastmaster's business day in his office. Clyde McKENZIE was absorbed in  his pleasant task of administering verbal  pats on the back to the many people who helped to provide an outlet of the youthful energies of the sports-minded young men of Tampico and the equally active interest of the other sports-lovers whose competitive days were past but whose love of spirited play and sportsmanship would never falter.

"Clyde McKENZIE's role that night was typical of his entire life. Sports from his toddling years were his principal interest. And as long as anyone about Tampico can remember, Clyde McKENZIE always found  time between his  workaday responsibilities to extend a helping hand to some youngster or group of  young people desirous  of directing their footsteps along the sports trail. He probably would have been surprised himself at the extent of his benefactions in this manner. Further, he would have been embarrassed had anyone noticed. Personal satisfaction was enough for him. Public credit would have piled the "kick" he received from these activities. He had a favorite sport for every season but  (cont'd on back page) - missing back page.

Newspaper clippings submitted by Martin Glassburn

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