Clarence Samuel McGirr (Daugherty Family)

Below is the obituary of a very dear 1st cousin of my mother, Helen Daugherty Hostvet. While I've enjoyed chatting with him on the phone, and corresponded with him frequently, I never had the oportunity to visit with him face to face. I feel an extreme loss when thinking about the death of this fine man. The below mentioned Mabel was the sister of my grandfather, Fred Irvin Daugherty.


> Clarence Samuel McGirr was born on December 5, 1923 in the Rosehill area
> near Wessington, South Dakota. He was the youngest of four children born
> to John and Mabel McGirr. Clarence grew up on a farm, rode a horse to
> school, worked in his uncles blacksmith shop, and after one year of
> college taught at the Whiteside Township country school. He volunteered
> for the U. S. Army in the early forties and became a member of the 101st
> Airborn Division of the special forces. It was during training at Fort
> Benning, Georgia, that he was badly injured during a parachute jump and
> spent six months in an Army hospital.
>
> After the war, Clarence entered the field of education where he was active
> for over forty years. He was a classroom teacher, a high school principal,
> a Superintendent of Public Education, a Professor of History, and finally
> an administrator at Phoenix College in Phoenix, Arizona, where he helped
> to start many of the Community Colleges in the greater Phoenix area. After
> retirement, he settled with his wife Norma, in Arizona City, Arizona,
> where they were both active in the community and enjoyed the local golf
> course.
>
> Clarence McGirr was a many talented man with a wide variety of interests.
> At an early age he won awards at singing contests and throughout his life
> was the soloist at hundreds of wedding, funerals, worship services, and
> other formal and informal gatherings of all kinds. He was also a skilled
> carpenter and wood worker. He designed and built cabinets, houses, and
> even a restaurant, a motel, and a bridge. He participated in various
> sports and made it to the minor leagues in baseball before the war
> intervened. Clarence is perhaps best known, however, for his work as a
> poet. Hardly a day went by when he did not write at least one poem for
> someone. He gave his creations away freely and they seldom failed to touch
> hearts, give someone a word of encouragement, or put a smile on a face.
>
> Clarence was a favorite in his family and will be much missed by his wife
> of 65 years, Norma, his son Randall of Arizona City, and his daughter
> Cynthia Wing of Tucson. Five grandchildren and thirteen great
> grandchildren will also miss his songs, his poems, and his wit. He was
> preceded in death by his brother Cliff, and his sisters Helen and Hazel.
>
> In lieu of flowers friends may make a donation to the charity of their
> choice. There will be a celebration of Clarence's life on October 4th at 2
> pm at the First United Methodist Church of Eloy, 605 N. Santa Cruz Blvd.
>
>

There are so many dear family members in Clarence's generation leaving us. It's so important to not just listen to their wonderful memories, but to write them down or tape them. We need to find out more about their children...where are they located? I can name many families that I absolutely have no idea where to find a single living person to continue a relationship with, whether personally or through communication of some sort. Our heritage is one of tremendous integrity and courage and we can all benefit from learning from each other.