J. Clair Nettleton

J. Clair Nettleton, 87, of Greene, died Saturday, August 2, 2008, at the Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

A funeral Mass for Clair Nettleton will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greene. Monsignor Walter Brunken will celebrate the Mass. Burial will be held in Rose Hill Cemetery in Greene. Military honors will be conducted by the Tack-Barnett Legion Post 268 of Greene.

Friends may call at the Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday where there will be a Vigil Scriptural Wake Service at 7 p.m. followed by the reciting of the Rosary. Visitation will continue an hour prior to the Mass at the church on Wednesday.

Joseph Clair Nettleton was born on February 9, 1921 in rural Greene, Iowa, the son of Louis and Katherine (Loughren) Nettleton. On December 31, 1947, he married the love of his life, Evalyn Poppe, at St. John's in Waterloo, IA. Clair grew up in rural Greene and was active on the family farm until enlisting in the Army in February 1942. Clair served on active duty in England and France before receiving his honorable discharge in November 1945. Upon his return to Iowa, he farmed with his family until 1946 when he started working at the Oliver Tractor assembly in Charles City until 1955. Clair then farmed in rural Floyd County 22 years before taking a job with the State of Iowa in 1977. He retired as Manager of the State Liquor Store in Clarksville, Iowa in 1987. He also worked part time at Greene Farm Equipment Services for more than 25 years until 2003. He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, American Legion, V.F.W, and the Iowa Draft Pony Hall of Fame after being
inducted in 1999 during a ceremony at the Iowa State Fair. His interests included his family, ponies and parades, chuck wagon races, homemade cherry ice cream, and playing cards.

Living family members include his wife Evalyn (Greene); his sons Bruce (Marti) Nettleton of Woodbury, MN and Joe (Lori) Nettleton of Charles City, IA; 5 grandchildren Vanessa (Dan) Kuder, Renee' Nettleton, Marc Nettleton, Sofie Nettleton and J. Ryan Nettleton, III; 1 great grandson Joshua Kuder; 1 brother Jim (Marilyn) Nettleton; three sisters Marge (Jim) Mayer, Ellie (Jim) Hebert, and MaryAnn (Jack) Aurand; 2 Aunts Ceil Maxson and Loretta Loughren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant sister, Mary Eileen, and two brothers, Gerald (Gene) and Bill Nettleton.

The Hauser Funeral Home, (641) 228-2323, www.hauserfh.com, in Charles City, is in charge of arrangements.