CLAYTON H. LOEHR

Clayton H. Loehr, 86 of Devils Lake formerly of Starkweather, ND died on Sunday, October 31, 2010 at Mercy Hospital, Devils Lake in the loving care of family. Funeral Services for Clayton will be held on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake. Rev. Robert Buechler will officiate and burial will be in the Methodist Cemetery, rural Starkweather, ND. Military Honors will be accorded by the Neathery-Simensen Post #756, Devils Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars and the North Dakota Military Funeral Honors Team. Serving as Urn Bearers for Clayton will be Benjamin Owens, William Owens, Samuel Owens, Brian Loehr and Steven Loehr. Clayton was born on January 30, 1924 in Newville Township, Towner County of North Dakota one of fourteen children born to Dewitt T. and Cleo Belle (Paul) Loehr. At 6 months of age, he moved with his family to Starkweather where he grew up and was educated at Starkweather Public School. From 1932 through 1944 Clayton worked as a seasonal farm laborer. On January 15, 1945 Clayton joined the United States Army at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He served his country during World War II in the Asiatic Pacific Theater. Clayton was honorably discharged on December 2, 1946 at Fort Lewis, Washington with the rank of Technician 5th grade. Clayton was united in marriage to Mazie Scott on April 3, 1948 in Starkweather where they established their home until 1950 when they moved to Devils Lake where they lived, worked and raised their daughters. In April of 1949, Clayton began working for the Ramsey County Highway Department as a motor grader and truck snowplow operator and mechanic. In July of 1950 he was promoted to Shop Foreman until retiring on January 30, 1988. Mazie passed away on April 29, 2003. In January of 2007 Clayton became a resident of the Good Samaritan Center. Clayton had many talents, abilities and interests. He built their home at Lakewood in 1962 and continued to remodel and improve the home through the years. He also enjoyed fishing, bird hunting and deer hunting with family and friends. He was a member of the VFW and a very active life member of the Elks Lodge 1216. He served as Past Tiler, past Trustee of the Elks, was a past Elk of the Year and served on numerous other committees of the Elks Lodge. We have lost someone very special to us and to many. Clayton is survived by his daughters, Denice and her husband Galen Owens of Fargo, ND, Cleo and her husband Mark Swenson of Blaine, Minnesota and Cindy and her husband Harold Abrahamson of Devils Lake; three grandsons and two great granddaughters, Benjamin Owens and his wife Kelly and their daughters Katelyn and Isabella Owens, William Owens and his wife Danis and Samuel Owens; step grandchildren Michelle Myklebust, Jennifer Heiser and Janelle Hanson; sisters, Lois Fetch of Parkville, Missouri and Catherine (Glen) Johnson of Towner, North Dakota; many nieces, nephews and their families also survive. Clayton was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Mazie; two infant sons, Marcus and Howard; brothers, William, Lawrence, John, Leland, Charles, Cloyce, Ralph and Donald Loehr; sisters, Bernice Loehr, Ethel Gilbertson and Alice Sortland.