Luther Lester Tate Jr.

Luther Lester Tate, Jr. was received by the Lord on Saturday, April 24, 2004, in the company of his family and friends at the Veteran Administration Medical Center in Iowa City, Iowa.

Memorial services will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, May 2, 2004, at the First Lutheran Church in Clarion with Rev. Gary Boen officiating.  Inurnment will take place in the Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.

Luther was born unto Anna E. Subject and Luther L. Tate, Sr. on February 8, 1931. Raised in Clarion, he often spent summers with his Uncle Virgil and Aunt Ruby Tate on their farm in Renwick, Iowa. Luther attended the Clarion Pubic Schools and was a member of the track team.

On July 26, 1949 he entered the United States Army and earned his high school diploma in the military. Luther served with the 16^th Infantry Regiment and was honorably discharged at the rank of Private First Class on November 15, 1952.

In the mid 1950’s he was married to Margaret Erickson. To this union two children, Diane and Robert, were born. In 1962, he married Leona Anderson. They had one child, Jeanette.

Luther spent his civilian life working in various occupations including truck driving, railroading, construction, and operating a feed mill. He retired in September of 1992 as a weather observer for Weather Data Services at the Mason City airport.

When Luther’s health began to decline earlier this spring, he left his home in Meservey, Iowa for USA Health Care Center in Clarion. He quickly accepted the care center as a second home, the staff and residents became his second family in the six short weeks he resided there.

 In addition to his children, those blessed to have shared his life include his granddaughter, heather Nelson of Roland; his great grandson, Gabriel Nelson of Roland; and his sister, Shirley Covington of Goodell.