Roberta Wheelan Clark

ROBERTA WHEELAN CLARK

Urbana, Ill.

Roberta Clark passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, at Clark-Lindsey Village in Urbana, Ill. She was the fourth child born to John H. and Martha (Swift) Wheelan on May 19, 1923, at their home on a farm three miles southeast of Washington, Iowa. She was the last surviving member of her generation of 49 grandchildren of John Connell Swift and Mary Cecily Rimmer and 21 grandchildren of Thomas Albert Wheelan and Susan Elizabeth Duffy.

She attended country school at Washington No. 4 School and graduated from Washington High School in 1941. She completed an associate degree at Washington Junior College in 1943 and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1944 with a degree in journalism. She was a member of the editorial staff of the university's student newspaper, The Daily Iowan, at a time when all the top posts were held by women. The paper was the first in the Iowa City region to break the news of the D-Day landings.

She met her husband, the late Robert D. Clark of Arenzville, Ill., in March 1943 when the Navy sent him to Washington for cadet training. They married on Dec. 29, 1944, at the Quonset Point (RI) Naval Air Station, where he was completing training as a carrier-based fighter pilot. After he returned from active duty in the Pacific during World War II, they lived on a farm near Arenzville, and raised a family of eight children. While her children were still in school, Roberta completed requirements for teacher certification and taught high school English at schools in Beardstown and Concord, Ill., from 1965 until her retirement in 1980.

She was preceded in death by her husband, who died on March 20, 1989; her parents; her sister, Esther Blaine and husband, Bernard; brother, Don Wheelan; brother, P.R. (Mike) Wheelan and wife, Donna; an older infant brother; son-in-law, John Householder; and daughter-in-law, Blanca Clark.

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Maxine Wheelan of Midwest City, Okla.; and also by her eight children, John C. Clark and wife Nancy of Nacogdoches, Texas, Drew Clark and wife Lainie of Boulder, Colo., Sara Burrus and husband Roger of Urbana, Annis Householder and partner Don Pilcher of Urbana, Tony Clark and wife Amy of Jacksonville, Jeff Clark and wife Susan of Bloomington, Martha Clark and partner Rich Castelli of Utica, and Molly Daniel and husband Steve of Charleston. Her surviving grandchildren and step-grandchildren are Susan (Jim) David, Patti (Mark) Pecot, Michael (Nicole) Clark, Daniel Clark, Tami Jones, Heidi Lemberger, Monica (Saul) Delage, Michael (Lucienne) Burrus, Ben (Nicole) Burrus, Patrick (Jill) Householder, Shawn Householder, Samantha (Matt) Walker, Jennifer Clark, Lauren Clark, Sara Clark, Robert (Kristie) Clark, Adam (Jennifer) Berndt, Sarah (Tom) Anderson, James (Erin) Clark, Rachel (Eric) Anderson and Christine (Travis) Stannard. Also surviving are 24 great-grandchildren, six stepgreat-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

Memorials are suggested to the Alpha Phi Chapter – Raise a Reader (c/o Jean Harlow-Truesdell, Treasurer, Alpha Phi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, 202 Westwinds Drive, Jacksonville, IL 62650).

A private family service will be held. A celebration of Roberta's life will be scheduled at a later date for extended family and friends. Burial will be at Arenzville North Cemetery. The Williamson Funeral Home, Jacksonville, is in charge of arrangements. To leave condolences for the family or to find information about livestreaming of the services, see www.airsman-hires.com.

*The 1943 photo of Roberta was taken by Henry E. Shields (1923-1944), her high school classmate and friend, at his going away party before he left for the Army.