CLARENCE PURSLEY obituary

Clarence G. Pursley of Havre, 89, died on July 17, 2007, at a Havre Hospital of natural causes.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 23, 2007, at the St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Big Sandy with the Rev. Pete Guthneck officiating. Burial will be at the Big Sandy Cemetery. A luncheon will follow the burial at St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church. Clarence was born on Feb. 23, 1918, at Lostwood, N.D., the son of Joseph and Mary Pursley. At 9 years of age, he moved with his mother and five siblings in an open - topped Model T Ford to Big Sandy. Clarence was raised and educated in Big Sandy. At 14 he began working for area ranchers. On Jan. 23, 1937, in Glasgow he married the love of his life, Lenore Kaiser. They were married for 63 years. The couple made their home in Big Sandy and raised their family. They had two children. In 1941 the couple moved to Bremerton, Wash., where Clarence worked in the shipyards as welder's helper during World War II. After the war ended the couple moved to Missoula for about one year, then returned to Big Sandy until 1949 when they rented a farm-ranch near Laredo. In 1953 they bought a grain farm south of Fresno where they resided until their retirement. In 1963 the couple purchased a farmranch north of Havre. In 1975 the couple purchased another ranch north of Chinook. They also added more acreage to their original farm. Clarence was always willing to buy more land, as in his words “they're not making any more of it.” In 1986 the couple moved to Havre. But not one to sit around, Clarence began helping a good friend, Ken Jones, haul the mail from Havre to Big Sandy at 5 a. m. every day for several years. Clarence's family was very important to him, not just his immediate family but nieces and nephews as well, and he wanted to keep in touch with all of them. Clarence was truly a self-made man, having never inherited anything from anyone. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife in January of 2000, two sisters, Mary and Alice, four brothers, Milton, James, Bill and Donald, and an infant grandson. He is survived by; one son, Jim (Connie) Pursley of Chinook; one daughter, Arlene Donoven of Havre; one sister, Catharin Brewer of Big Sandy; 10 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and special friends who took care of him as neighbors, Ken Jones and Danny Beecher. Memorials in Clarence's honor maybe made to the Gift Of Life P. O. Box 7008 Great Falls, MT 59401. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home.