Adrin Albion Clark (AAC), father, son, brother, uncle, grandfather, friend, mentor, Army Veteran, master mechanic, and so much more, was born on December 4th 1941 in a small two bedroom house, just a few days prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He began his journey to meet his creator on February 15th 2016, at the age of 74, surrounded by his sons, grandchildren, caring VAMC staff, and spiritually by all of his family.
He is survived by his sons Aaron Clark (AAC), Sean Clark (Wendy), Radley Clark (Elva), grandchildren Austin (Emily), Dustin, Kasee, Cooper, Peytan Clark, Kyle Leonard, Gabriel Stratton, brothers Lloyd, Bruce (Ione), Lynn (Lynn), sister Lois (Lamar) Duke, Uncles; Darwin (Jenice), Merlyn Hamner; Auntis; Margaret Clark, and Avis Purvis.
He is preceded in death by his parents Aden Amos Clark (AAC) and Emma Mathilda (Mattern) Clark, many aunts, uncles, cousins, his grandparents and loving sister in law Arlene (Lloyd) Clark.
Our father at an early age learned the value of a dollar, and how to work hard to earn it. He was the oldest child in his family, and from talking to his siblings over the years, he set a good example, and they loved and respected him for this. He attended trade school, after graduating high school in Sherwood North Dakota, to perfect his craft. After trade school, he went to Benson Minnesota to work for John Deere for a couple of years. He was then drafted into the US Army at the age of 23, where he answered his countries call to serve. He proudly served in combat in Vietnam. After returning from Vietnam he moved to Montana to work as an agricultural mechanic, but he always talked highly of his family and birthplace in North Dakota. Upon moving to Montana he worked for Strong and Bradley, a John Deere dealer, for 11 years.
He married Nancy Mann in 1968 and started a family of his own in 1971, with first born Aaron, carrying on the family tradition of 1st born male carrying the initials AAC. Aaron also passed on this tradition to his first born, Austin. Aaron, like his dad, has a hard work ethic, which he in turn passed on to his children as well. 1973 brought another son, Sean, who thought his dad walked on water, but against his fathers’ wish, joined the Army, to follow in his footsteps. Sean, like his dad, always walks his own path, which sometimes has led to his being referred to as the south end of a northbound horse. 1977, and yet another son, Radley, who looks more like his dad than he will ever realize. Radley also joined the Army. He served in the National Guard alongside his dad in the 1049th Fire Fighting Engineer Battalion. Both Radley and his dad deployed to Hungary for the Bosnia conflict.
Our father joined the National Guard at the prompting of one of his good friends Lloyd Poe, “Poe”, and retired from the Guard with over 20 years. He also retired from Valley Sales after more than 20 years as an agricultural mechanic, where he made many good friends by working on their equipment, but too many to list. After his mechanic career, he was able to start a new career which he loved very much, and that was as an over the road tractor trailer driver, first for TNT trucking, and later for Watsontown trucking. He very much enjoyed seeing the country, and loved being able to reconnect with his family that he was not able to see very often.
Our father loved the outdoors and enjoyed many hunting, fishing, and camping trips over the years. He particularly loved being able to hunt bears in Canada with Aaron and his grandchildren. He served his community for many years as a reserve police officer, volunteer fireman, search and rescue, and was actively involved with the American Legion for a number of years, and was the Post Commander for a period as well.
Our father was rather reserved when it came to conversation, but once he got to know you and going he was hard to curtail. Some funny stories to ask him about when you see him on the other side are talking one of his brothers into urinating on the hot fence, the chicken killing dog, and when two larger boys took him behind the schoolhouse and only he walked back out…maybe one of the reasons he had the nickname of Dynamite. During his life he of course worked on all makes and models of equipment, but truth is, if you cut him he would bleed John Deere green. He was able to visit a John Deere factory in Budapest Hungary, which by the size of his smile in the pictures, he enjoyed immensely.
He was involved in many national and local community organizations, but to name a few they are; Upper Missouri River chapter Walleyes Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, National Rifle Association, Broadwater Rod and Gun Club, Chamber of Commerce, American Legion, North American Hunting Club, Montana Sheriffs and Peace officers, Broadwater County Search and Rescue, Townsend Volunteer Fire Department, and was a Reserve Police Officer. Many of these organizations he was a life member of.
Our father will be missed every second of every day. We still have another lifetime of unanswered questions, and missed boots to the butt. Dad we all love you, and miss you terribly. Keep a good supply of ice waiting, as I like mine cold, and we will see you on the other side.
We would like to thank everyone for the calls, texts, food, and everything else, it is wonderful to know that others felt as we did of our father. Further well wishes, please email to www.stevensonwilke.com. If anyone would like to donate in our fathers’ name, local foodbanks are always in need of assistance, boy/girl scouts, or choose any of the others from his affiliations. God bless, and God speed.
Memorial services will take place at the American Legion Club in Townsend Montana on February 27th, 2016, at 1pm.
Service Schedule
Service Schedule
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Gerald May says
The last memory I have of Adrin is a trip thru the Yellowstone Park with Lois in the spring of 1968. He had a broken foot or leg and couldn’t work. Prayers for the family and God Bless.
Daniel Aden Clark says
Love meeting up on the road with you cousin. Thanks for stopping by and spending the night with Iris and me when time allowed on your way to delivery.. love you cuzz.
Daniel Aden Clark says
14 But Peter stood up with the Eleven and spoke to them in a loud voice: “Men of Ju·deʹa and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem, let this be known to you and listen carefully to my words. 15 These people are, in fact, not drunk, as you suppose, for it is the third hour of the day. 16 On the contrary, this is what was said through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘“And in the last days,” God says, “I will pour out some of my spirit on every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams, 18 and even on my male slaves and on my female slaves I will pour out some of my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 And I will give wonders in heaven above and signs on earth below—blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and illustrious day of Jehovah comes. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.”’
14 Therefore, beloved ones, since you are awaiting these things, do your utmost to be found finally by him spotless and unblemished and in peace. 15 Furthermore, consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you according to the wisdom given him, 16 speaking about these things as he does in all his letters. However, some things in them are hard to understand, and these things the ignorant and unstable are twisting, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You, therefore, beloved ones, having this advance knowledge, be on your guard so that you may not be led astray with them by the error of the lawless people and fall from your own steadfastness. 18 No, but go on growing in the undeserved kindness and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Lynn (sister-in-law) says
Farewell and Godspeed. You take with you Jack Smith of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I shall miss you both. I see you now fishing with your Dad, and your Mom cooking up the best food Heaven has to offer.