Clarence Harold Duncan

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(Feb. 4, 1913 - Nov. 10, 2016)

Clarence Harold Duncan, 103, passed away Nov. 10, 2016 in Billings, Montana.

Clarence Harold Duncan, was born Feb. 4, 1913, at his Grandma Carlton’s place in Lovell, Big Horn County, Wyoming, to Charles Duncan, born Feb. 27, 1878, in Centerville, Utah and Annie Perrier Carlton Duncan, born Nov. 6, 1888, in Rineyville, Kentucky.

Clarence’s father was one of the early pioneers in the Lovell and Byron area. He grew up on a farm in Lovell and then in Ten Sleep.

His older and only sister Annie Laura was born in Cody while the family was living there. Clarence’s Mom and Dad both worked for Buffalo Bill for a few years before moving to Lovell. Annie Laura died in Lovell of diphtheria at the age of 6, almost a year before Clarence was born, and was buried in the Lovell Cemetery. He has three brothers: Charles Carlton, (Cart), Carroll Scott, (“Chinny” or Scotty); both those boys were born in Lovell. Rulon Cash (Rue), born in Worland, Wyoming after the family moved to Ten Sleep.

He attended the Bader School in Ten Sleep. He helped his father farm “The Duncan place” which was about 6 miles down the Nowood River from Ten Sleep. All the farming was done with horses. They helped other farmers on the Nowood because Charlie Duncan had some of the best haying equipment on the creek.

He met Violet Mae Jones Anderson in the winter of 1940 and they were married in a civil ceremony on Jan. 23, 1941, at her parent’s home in Otto. On April 7, 1941 they went to Salt Lake Temple and were married for time and all eternity.

They first lived in Worland, Washakie County, Wyoming, in a borrowed sheep wagon.

Then they moved to Ten Sleep and worked the family farm for his father who was in ill health with a bad heart. He and Mae lived in a 10 by 12 foot bunkhouse that was covered with tar paper and leaked every time it rained. They lived there for a year and a half. Then Mae’s father, Maurice Anderson heard of a house in Gebo, Wyoming, which he bought and moved to the Nowood Ranch for them to live in.

Clarence is survived by one brother Rulon, six children: Charles Lynn (Susan), Donna Mae (Tom)Thomas, Ronald Anderson (Jean), William Scott (Eileen), Mark Owen (Linda) and Nora (Bill) Winters.

His father died on March 12, 1955, in Burbank, California and his mother on Oct. 8, 1964 in Glendale, California. They are both buried in the Valhalla Cemetery in Burbank, California.

Clarence and Mae moved the family to a farm 3 miles south of Otto, Big Horn County, Wyoming, in 1948 and he farmed in the spring, summer and fall and worked winters at the Worland Sugar Factory. He also worked as a hod carrier, and then as a brick layer. He always had to work hard to provide for the family, farming in the summer then working off the farm, even for other farmers for pay or shares, just to make ends meet.  He spent 47 years of his life on the farm.

In 1959, he moved the family to Burlington. He was hired as the Head Custodian of the Burlington school. He worked for the school for 18 years. He retired in 1978 and they threw a big going away party for him. He was very well liked. But in April they told him he could work till he was 70 and rehired him. When Mae’s health deteriorated to work with him, they hired Robin Aagard to help in her place. He again retired in 1988, but kept on driving regular and activity school bus. Eventually he gave up the regular route and just ran the bus for the kids going home after ball practice. He retired from driving bus in 1993 at the age of 80.

His beloved wife, Violet Mae Jones Anderson Duncan passed away in January 1998 and Clarence lived alone with the help of the community till late in the summer of 2011; when he moved to assisted living in the Beehive Home, Cody. He lived there 5 years, with many friends visiting him and writing their names on his calendar. On Oct. 24, 2016, he checked out of the Bee Hive Home and made his residence in the Billings Health and Rehabilitation Community.  

Funeral services will be held 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 14, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Burlington. Burial will follow in the Otto Cemetery. Online condolences may be made at www.bryantfuneralhomeonline.com.

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