Patricia Clapper

Pat Clapper was a woman who devoted her life to nurturing those around her. She was an incredibly compassionate lady, who cared for so many people in her lifetime. Pat was a wonderful listener, with a ready ear and an open heart, a heart she shared so willingly. Most of all, Pat was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, whose life was a gift to all who knew her.

Pat’s story began on a warm fall day in 1928, in the bustling city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Those were good days in this country, the twilight of the Roaring 20s, and the calm before the terrible storm of the Great Depression. On September 22, 1928, Edwin and Gladys (Cole) Marsh celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl, a daughter they named Patricia.

Pat was the first of six children in the family’s home in Plainwell, Michigan, where her father was a hardworking electrician at the local mill, in addition to being a hobby farmer on the family’s farm. Her mother was a homemaker, and kept the farm running smoothly with the help of the kids, of course.

When she wasn’t helping around the Marsh Family Farm, Pat was busy attending Plainwell Schools, and eventually went to Plainwell High School. She worked as a waitress at the Red Brick Inn in Plainwell during high school and World War II, and once even waited on a famous author coming through town.

Pat graduated in 1946, and then headed off to Parsons Business School. She also began working at Spanco Brass, which is now Parker-Hannifin.

In 1948, the pretty young Pat “fell” for a young sailor named Fred Clapper — literally! She was attending a dance, when she tripped on the stairs and fell right into Fred, who was on leave from the Navy. It wasn’t long before he had fallen for her, too, and when he was discharged, he bee-lined it back to Plainwell and to his beloved Pat. Fred found work at the paper mill, and the happy pair was married.

The newlyweds settled in Plainwell, and it wasn’t long before they became parents, as well. Pat and Fred were blessed with five wonderful children over the years, Della, Ray, Marcella, Mary and Emory, who filled their lives with so much pride and joy.

Pat was a wonderful, hardworking mother, who was always there when her children needed her. When they were old enough, she found work outside the home as the head cook of Cunningham Nursing Home. Later she found work as a teacher’s aide at Plainwell Schools, assisting everywhere from the playground, to the office, the cafeteria and the classroom. She loved working at the schools, being close to the children, and helping to make a difference in their lives.

Pat always adored children, and even worked as a nanny for many years, looking after three children whose mother died in an auto accident. They helped fill the void she felt when her beloved Fred died in 1979.

Pat retired from Plainwell Schools in 1990, after 18 wonderful years there. Still wanting to help people, she then began volunteering everywhere she could. Pat donated her time to Plainwell Community Education, the Allegan Vo-Tech and the Habitat for Humanity, too. She also helped with the various ministries at her church, the Christ Community Church in Allegan.

Pat didn’t stop there, though. She was a very social, outgoing person, and a beloved member of the Otsego Moose Lodge. She helped with many different events there, from weddings to funerals and everything in between. She was also a member of the Gun River Conservation Club, and a very active helper during their annual arts & crafts show.

Pat somehow found time for her own hobbies, too. She loved to travel, and visited many different places around the country, with trips to Tennessee, Louisiana and Oregon, among others. Everywhere she went, she’d fill her suitcase with the countless rocks she collected, and fill her camera with the photos of clouds she always enjoyed taking. Pat loved to travel, loved going out to eat, and loved to “just go.”

She was also a voracious reader, and loved going to the library to reload a new stack of books every week or so. When she wasn’t reading, she enjoyed watching a good John Wayne movie, or especially, watching the Price Is Right, her all-time favorite show. Later in life, as her health began to fail in 2007 and she was admitted to the hospital, she’d kick everyone out of her room at 11 o’clock sharp, telling them she needed a nap. She really just wanted to watch the Price Is Right in peace!

Yet, seeing her family always brightened Pat’s days. More than anything, she loved her children and grandchildren, and her life truly revolved around her family and friends. She was a passive person in nature, so kind and compassionate, and the world’s best listener, too.

Sadly, Pat died on December 9, 2007, at the Borgess Medical Center, at the age of 79.

Pat was a wonderful woman, who lived a wonderful life, a life so full of family, friends, and fond memories. She was so helpful, so humble, so willing to do for those around her. Most of all, Pat was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend, whose life and love lives on in them today. She will be greatly missed.

Visit with her family on Wednesday from 2-4 & 6-8 PM at Life Story Funeral Homes, RDMG, Plainwell; 120 S. Woodhams, where a funeral service will be held on Thursday at 11 AM. Pat was preceded in death by her husband Fred in 1979; her brothers: LeRoy "Bud" Marsh and Lenord Marsh; and sister-in-law: Barbara Marsh. Members of her family include her children and their spouses; Della & Warren Hawley of South Boardman, Raymond Clapper & Judith George of Portage, Marcella & Michael Eidson of Portage, Mary & Tom Hudson of Allegan, Emory Clapper of Plainwell, 15 grandchildren 26 great-grandchildren, her siblings and their spouses Ethlyn & Bob Edgerly of Richland, Charles “Skip” Marsh of Plainwell, Dixie & Bob Stratton of Plainwell, her sister-in-laws Ileta Marsh and Judy Marsh of Otsego, very special friends John Paul of Allegan, Crystal, Katie & Benjamin Martinez, and Kyle & Sarah Shannon. Please visit Pat’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a memory or photo, sign her memory book or make a memorial donation to the Starr and Gilkey Elementary Schools Libraries.