John Clarence Hutchison

Clarence did not finish High School, he attended until his sophmore year in Brush, CO and then went back to Iowa to help his Uncle with the Hutchison farm in 1914. He stayed there for three years before marrying Mabel Freda Stratton on January 24, 1917 in Iowa City, Iowa. Mabel lived one and a half miles down the road from Clarence on the Stratton farm. Clarence went to school with Mabel a few years when they were young. He went to a Stratton picnic and met Mabel one Sunday. They had attended scool at a country school near her parents farm graduating from the 8th grade.

Clarence and Mabel bought their house furnishings on February 28, 1917 for a total cost of $169.22.

Clarence did not go into the Service. He got married just before WWI. They wanted him to sign up once during the Mexican Border War. His cousin, Ray Yenter, was a Captain. He almost went but would have left his Uncle in a "hell of a shape" without help on the farm.

Clarence and Mabel lived on the Hutchison farm in Johnson Cunty, South of Oxford,, Iowa for 13 years. Velma Freda was born on December 25, 1917; and, Vivian Lorrene was born on August 23, 1920. Both girls were born at home on the Crow place near Oxford.

Their first car in 1918/1919 was a touring car which was jacked up in the wintertime. It cost around $1,000 and was sold so that the family could go to Colorado.

On May 30, 1930, in a 1927 Chevy, the Clarence Hutchison family came to Colorado to move into the Hutchison Farm at Snyder, Colorado. The furniture and belongings were sent on the train. Joseph and Zamina had opened a grocery store in Snyder around 1921. Freda worked in the store and Ethel became a school teacher.

Clarence and family had difficult years on the farm during the depression. A bad hail storm broke windows on the North side of the house, destryed the second hay cutting, left only 2 inch stocks of corn. They had almost finished cutting the grain, but lost all of the crops. This occured on Saturday after the 4th of July, 1931 or 1932. Crops were replanted, but did not do well. In the 1930's, the government forced farmers to kill their animals, pigs and cows and pour lyme over them in the pits. The Hutchison's quit farming in 1937.

They moved to the Woodward farm in March and worked for a while. Clarence and Mabel's son Kenneth Harro;d was born on January 14, 1937. Many moves and farming jobs followed until 1943, when Mabel, Clarence, Vivian and Kenneth moved to a house on Lake Street in Fort Morgan, CO. With Velma raising her own family, Vivian at 16 was active in raising her brother Kenneth.

Clarence worked for Morgan County for 16 months. They rented their home at 211 Duell Street for a while. With $500 down, they purchased the home for $5,000. Clarence worked as a carpenter doing odd jobs. Clarence remained in their home after Mabel's death in October 1967. His family helped him move in 1975 to the Centennial Manor, 620 Ray Street, Brush, CO.

Mabel was not a joiner of clubs, but spent her days caring for her family and her flowers. She died of Cancer in Denver on October 18, 1967 at the age of 76.

Their oldest daughter, Velma Freda, born 12/25/1917, and died 0n 10/4/1982 of heart failure, married on February 24, 1936 to their neighbor's son, Halsey E. Forrest, born on 1/23/1914 and died on 5/3/1983. They lived at a farm at 28394 Morgan County Road in Snyder, CO. Halsey "Snooks" grew prize winning sugar beets and cattle on their farm. Velma tended a huge garden and was an avid seamstress and handicraft lady. She was active in Rebekah Lodge and church work. Vivian remembers helping her sister with 4 young girls in three years. The twin girls were so small and born at home right after electricity came to the area; they fit in a tiny bassenette together, both weighing under 4 pounds at birth. They had a total of 4 daughters:

1. Loretta Jean who married James Sharpe and had two children: Lee Ann and David Russell 2. Marilyn Joyce who married George Al Lesser and had three children: Cheryll Lynn, Michael Eric married to Kara and Nichole Jeanine 3. Kay Darlene who married Donald McMillian and had two children: Donald Neal and Dennis Allen 4. Fay Arlene who married Paul Vondy, then Elvin Duane Johnson with two children: Douglas Paul and Russell Eugene married to Deanna.

Their second daughter, Vivian Lorrene, born August 23, 1920, following graduation from Snyder High School, worked as a nurse's aid in Denver and found her way to work in Glenwood Springs, CO. She married Oscar Fidel Diemoz and married on December 10, 1947 in Denver. Oscar and Vivian lived on a ranch at 10095 Hook's Lane near Basalt, CO. Oscar and brother Amie, owned a cattle ranch.

Clarence and Mabel's son, Kenneth Harold, graduated from Colorado State University in Fort Collins and married Constance Lee Schmidt Fisher (born Nov 30, 1940) on June 5, 1965. Kenneth and Connie live at 36 McDonald Avenue in Brush, CO. Kenneth is an accounting/computer/business manager and Connie is a teacher/manager of a pre-school. They have two dollars: Ann Renee and Robyn Lee.

The Clarence Hutchison's celebrated 50 years of marriage with their family in January before Mabel passed away on October 18, 1967 of Cancer.

On Novenber 20, 1990, Clarence passed away of heart failure in Brush, CO. He died 37 days before celebrating his 100th birthday with his family. He was very active in Brush Senior Center and lived in the Brush, CO area for 64 years.

Above provided by Janice Duroux, Granddaughter of Clarence

_______________________________

Birth: 1890 Death: 1990

Burial: Riverside Cemetery Fort Morgan Morgan County Colorado, USA

Created by: Cindy (Seifert) Cooper A... Record added: Aug 24, 2011 Find A Grave Memorial# 75416659