1921
James
2011
James Leroy Clingan
October 11, 1921 — January 15, 2011
James Leroy (Lee) Clingan
The conclusion of a long and fascinating life journey arrived for former state senator and state representative Lee Clingan of Covington, Ind., who died peacefully surrounded by his family at the VA Illiana Health Care Hospital in Danville, IL at the age of 89 on Saturday, January 15, 2011. Lee was a well-known area auctioneer, farmer, legislator, realtor, insurance agency owner and Fountain County gentleman.
Lee was born near Kingman, IN on Oct. 11, 1921, the fourth of six children of Roy and Edna Shelton Clingan. He graduated from Kingman High School in 1939. As a boy he worked on the Clingan family farm until his fathers death in 1938. He later worked as a farm laborer, in a coal mine, at the Coffing Brothers apple orchard and as a ticket taker at the Indiana State Fair. Lees experiences growing up on a farm during the depression provided him with extraordinary measures of resourcefulness, frugality and practicality, as well as a deep respect for hard work.
Lee enlisted in the Army in April 1941 as a private; he quickly rose to the rank of first lieutenant and led an infantry platoon through two major battles in Holland, earning the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Combat Infantryman Badge. Lee arrived at Omaha Beach in late June 1944, when the devastation brought by the June 6 D-Day invasion was still evident. Lee was a German prisoner of war at Oflag 64 in Poland for three months. Toward the end of the war, from January to April 1945, the camp of more than 1,000 prisoners was forced to march over 300 miles back to Germany on the infamous Poland death march. Lee escaped briefly during Pattons Hammelburg Raid of Oflag XIII-B.
After discharge Lee returned to Kingman and drove a stock truck then graduated from Repperts School of Auctioneering in Decatur, Ind., and attended life insurance and marketing classes at Purdue University. He went to work as an insurance salesman for Carl Songer and eventually built his own insurance and real estate agency, which he ran from 1946 to 1995. Lee often referred to himself as a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none, and some of his other businesses included suit salesman, bail bondsman, auctioneer, livestock buyer and truck driver. Since 1953 Lee had the pleasure of entertaining thousands of people in western Indiana and eastern Illinois at his many farm, cattle, antique and land auctions. Lees deep voice, cadenced auctioneering chant and colorful local stories never failed to entertain his crowd.
In 1958 Lee married the lovely and lively Thelma Tucker Tyhurst of Danville, and he raised her daughter, Lynne Suzanne Suzie Tyhurst, as his own from when Suzie was nine years old. That same year the newly created Clingan family moved to Covington to start a new life at 121 Elm Dr. in the brand-new Beck Addition. Thelma T. served as Lees chief advisor and supporter until her death in 1987 after 29 years of marriage and partnership.
Lee entered the Indiana State Senate in 1960 and served for 8 years until his seat was reapportioned in 1968. In 1972 he ran for the House of Representatives and won, serving for 16 years. Every year of the 24 years that Lee served in the General Assembly he was a member of the Agriculture and Insurance Committees of the chamber in which he served, and he was at one time the chairman of the Insurance Committee of each chamber. During Lees 24 years in the legislature he represented districts that included all or parts of Fountain, Vermillion, Warren, Vigo, Benton and Parke Counties.
Generous of heart and spirit, Lee was committed to his community. He was a past president of the Kingman High School Alumni Association; member of the Indiana Auctioneers association, American Legion and past commander of the Kingman American Legion Post; past commander of firing squads and colors for many military funerals; member of the V.F.W; former member of the Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, Zorah Temple and Elks Lodge; and member of the Fountain County draft board for 25 years. He was also instrumental in moving the Ernie Pyle home to Dana, Ind., in the mid-1970s in order to establish the Ernie Pyle State Historic Site.
In 1985 Lees 99 colleagues in the Indiana House of Representatives rated him as Best Liked in Indianapolis Monthly magazine. Other honors include a certificate of merit awarded by the Department of Indiana Disabled American Veterans, a service award by the Department of Indiana Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a service award from the Fountain County office of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. In 1989 Gov. Evan Bayh awarded Lee the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash award, bestowing upon him the states highest award for a citizen and honoring him for his many years of service to the State of Indiana. In 1988 Lee was honored by House Concurrent Resolution No. 97, praising his 24 years of service to the Indiana General Assembly.
Lee is survived by his two sons, Gregory Lee (wife Pam) of Covington and David William of Indianapolis; four grandchildren, R. Chadwick Armstrong (wife Jennifer) of Nolensville, Tenn., Shannon Lyn Bogue (husband Curt) of West Lafayette, Ind., Amanda Lee Strawser (husband Allen) of Covington and Hannah Marie Clingan of Greencastle, IN.; and six great-grandchildren, Jackson and Tucker Bogue of West Lafayette, Reece Lynne and Bricyn Elaine Armstrong of Nolensville and Reis Lauren Lewsader and Remi Lynn Strawser of Covington. Lee was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma T.; daughter, Lynne Suzanne Tyhurst Armstrong; brothers, Gordon, Fred and Bert; sisters, Alberta Holland and Almeda Samuels; and parents, Roy and Edna Shelton Clingan.
Lees great passions were the Chicago Cubs, poker and politics. Known for his trademark Stetson hat, pipe and booming voice, he never knew a stranger, was loved and respected by many and will be missed by all who knew him. His generosity, sense of humor and patriotism were appreciated by countless friends and loved ones.
Friends may call at Shelby Funeral Home, 622 Third St., Covington, IN on Friday, January 21, 2011 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The life of this extraordinary gentleman will be celebrated at the Covington United Methodist Church, 419 Washington Street, Covington, IN with Rev. Tom Hoehner and Rev. Kenneth Majors officiating on Saturday, January 22, 2011 beginning at 12 noon with an additional visitation from 11 am to 12 noon at the church. Burial immediately following, with military honors will be held at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Covington. www.shelbyfuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers and in tribute to Lees 53 years in the Covington community, Lees family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Covington Community Foundation, 135 South Stringtown Rd., P.O. Box 175, Covington, IN 47932-0175, www.wicf-inc.org
The conclusion of a long and fascinating life journey arrived for former state senator and state representative Lee Clingan of Covington, Ind., who died peacefully surrounded by his family at the VA Illiana Health Care Hospital in Danville, IL at the age of 89 on Saturday, January 15, 2011. Lee was a well-known area auctioneer, farmer, legislator, realtor, insurance agency owner and Fountain County gentleman.
Lee was born near Kingman, IN on Oct. 11, 1921, the fourth of six children of Roy and Edna Shelton Clingan. He graduated from Kingman High School in 1939. As a boy he worked on the Clingan family farm until his fathers death in 1938. He later worked as a farm laborer, in a coal mine, at the Coffing Brothers apple orchard and as a ticket taker at the Indiana State Fair. Lees experiences growing up on a farm during the depression provided him with extraordinary measures of resourcefulness, frugality and practicality, as well as a deep respect for hard work.
Lee enlisted in the Army in April 1941 as a private; he quickly rose to the rank of first lieutenant and led an infantry platoon through two major battles in Holland, earning the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Combat Infantryman Badge. Lee arrived at Omaha Beach in late June 1944, when the devastation brought by the June 6 D-Day invasion was still evident. Lee was a German prisoner of war at Oflag 64 in Poland for three months. Toward the end of the war, from January to April 1945, the camp of more than 1,000 prisoners was forced to march over 300 miles back to Germany on the infamous Poland death march. Lee escaped briefly during Pattons Hammelburg Raid of Oflag XIII-B.
After discharge Lee returned to Kingman and drove a stock truck then graduated from Repperts School of Auctioneering in Decatur, Ind., and attended life insurance and marketing classes at Purdue University. He went to work as an insurance salesman for Carl Songer and eventually built his own insurance and real estate agency, which he ran from 1946 to 1995. Lee often referred to himself as a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none, and some of his other businesses included suit salesman, bail bondsman, auctioneer, livestock buyer and truck driver. Since 1953 Lee had the pleasure of entertaining thousands of people in western Indiana and eastern Illinois at his many farm, cattle, antique and land auctions. Lees deep voice, cadenced auctioneering chant and colorful local stories never failed to entertain his crowd.
In 1958 Lee married the lovely and lively Thelma Tucker Tyhurst of Danville, and he raised her daughter, Lynne Suzanne Suzie Tyhurst, as his own from when Suzie was nine years old. That same year the newly created Clingan family moved to Covington to start a new life at 121 Elm Dr. in the brand-new Beck Addition. Thelma T. served as Lees chief advisor and supporter until her death in 1987 after 29 years of marriage and partnership.
Lee entered the Indiana State Senate in 1960 and served for 8 years until his seat was reapportioned in 1968. In 1972 he ran for the House of Representatives and won, serving for 16 years. Every year of the 24 years that Lee served in the General Assembly he was a member of the Agriculture and Insurance Committees of the chamber in which he served, and he was at one time the chairman of the Insurance Committee of each chamber. During Lees 24 years in the legislature he represented districts that included all or parts of Fountain, Vermillion, Warren, Vigo, Benton and Parke Counties.
Generous of heart and spirit, Lee was committed to his community. He was a past president of the Kingman High School Alumni Association; member of the Indiana Auctioneers association, American Legion and past commander of the Kingman American Legion Post; past commander of firing squads and colors for many military funerals; member of the V.F.W; former member of the Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, Zorah Temple and Elks Lodge; and member of the Fountain County draft board for 25 years. He was also instrumental in moving the Ernie Pyle home to Dana, Ind., in the mid-1970s in order to establish the Ernie Pyle State Historic Site.
In 1985 Lees 99 colleagues in the Indiana House of Representatives rated him as Best Liked in Indianapolis Monthly magazine. Other honors include a certificate of merit awarded by the Department of Indiana Disabled American Veterans, a service award by the Department of Indiana Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a service award from the Fountain County office of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. In 1989 Gov. Evan Bayh awarded Lee the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash award, bestowing upon him the states highest award for a citizen and honoring him for his many years of service to the State of Indiana. In 1988 Lee was honored by House Concurrent Resolution No. 97, praising his 24 years of service to the Indiana General Assembly.
Lee is survived by his two sons, Gregory Lee (wife Pam) of Covington and David William of Indianapolis; four grandchildren, R. Chadwick Armstrong (wife Jennifer) of Nolensville, Tenn., Shannon Lyn Bogue (husband Curt) of West Lafayette, Ind., Amanda Lee Strawser (husband Allen) of Covington and Hannah Marie Clingan of Greencastle, IN.; and six great-grandchildren, Jackson and Tucker Bogue of West Lafayette, Reece Lynne and Bricyn Elaine Armstrong of Nolensville and Reis Lauren Lewsader and Remi Lynn Strawser of Covington. Lee was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma T.; daughter, Lynne Suzanne Tyhurst Armstrong; brothers, Gordon, Fred and Bert; sisters, Alberta Holland and Almeda Samuels; and parents, Roy and Edna Shelton Clingan.
Lees great passions were the Chicago Cubs, poker and politics. Known for his trademark Stetson hat, pipe and booming voice, he never knew a stranger, was loved and respected by many and will be missed by all who knew him. His generosity, sense of humor and patriotism were appreciated by countless friends and loved ones.
Friends may call at Shelby Funeral Home, 622 Third St., Covington, IN on Friday, January 21, 2011 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The life of this extraordinary gentleman will be celebrated at the Covington United Methodist Church, 419 Washington Street, Covington, IN with Rev. Tom Hoehner and Rev. Kenneth Majors officiating on Saturday, January 22, 2011 beginning at 12 noon with an additional visitation from 11 am to 12 noon at the church. Burial immediately following, with military honors will be held at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Covington. www.shelbyfuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers and in tribute to Lees 53 years in the Covington community, Lees family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Covington Community Foundation, 135 South Stringtown Rd., P.O. Box 175, Covington, IN 47932-0175, www.wicf-inc.org
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