CLARENCE H. SHOCK died June 19, 1990. His life was taken by a
rare form of cancer. He was 78 years old on May 17 of this year. He
was born in Union County New Mexico, near the little town of
Hayden, where his parents were homesteading. Their home was a cabin
made of sod from the prairie. New Mexico was a territory when the
Frank B. Shocks settled there, but became a state Jan. 6,1912. So
Clarence was born in the U.S.A.
The family moved back to Council Grove, a community west of
Oklahoma City, and Clarence went to school at Council, Putnam City
and graduated from high school in 1931. Clarence and his brother
Frank operated a service station and garage until his marriage to
Grace Lay in 1938. After an extended honeymoon in Colorado, it was
back to Oklahoma in November. And back to Colorado to stay in 1939.
For 10 years, during World War II, they lived and worked in
Cottonwood Lake above Buena Vista, and Santa Maria Reservoir above
Creede. Clarence was superintendent of the Santa Maria Reservoir
and the Continental Reservoir, storing and releasing water to
irrigate the San Luis Valley.
Their next move was to Delta County on the western slope. They
bought a farm in the Surface Creek Valley where they have resided
for 41 years. In addition to farming, Clarence worked at a machine
shop for 21 years. He retired at 62 and started a hobby that
combined his talents. He started collecting antique gasoline
engines, restoring them and making replicas of old tractors and
gasoline engines. He was a member of the Four Corners Antique Power
Club. He exhibited engines in Fort Scott, Kansas; Pawnee, Oklahoma;
Colorado Springs, La Jara, and Duran-go, Colorado; and Farmington,
New Mexico.
Clarence is survived by his wife, Grace, a son, James Stanley
Shock, a grandson, a brother and other relatives, and dear friends
and loved ones who will miss him, but will cherish, respect, and
honor the memory of his life.
Submitted by Grace Shock, 1214 Highway 65, Austin, Colorado
81410.
OLIVER C. STRINGER (O.C.), 70, passed away at his home in rural
Hebron, Indiana on June 17, 1990. He was born on June 12, 1920, in
Moweaqua, Illinois. He married Clara Marie Alton in 1943. Clara
survives, as well as his son, Neal Stringer, and daughter, Doris
(Del) Cole, and four grandsons.
O.C. moved to northwest Indiana in 1948 and became employed by
the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway as a switchman. He retired in
February 1978 with 30 years of service.
Mr. Stringer was a member of the United Transportation Union
Local 1383, Loyal Order of Moose 783, Northern Indiana Historical
Power Association and Southlake County Agricultural Historical
Society. He was a very active member at various steam shows and
over the years promoted several shows on his own.
He had a collection of 20 gas engines and his pride and joy-a
1939 John Deere G-he restored, which had been bought new by his
father. O.C. also built a complete ? scale old time sawmill and
machine tooled all the needed parts. He was a man who could fix
anything, like his father before him. If you met him only once you
liked him.
He spent a lot of his time helping others whenever they called.
O.C. was a hard working man who will be missed greatly by all the
lives he touched.
Submitted by Neal Stringer, his son, 3600 Maine St., Gary,
Indiana 46409.
