John William McCleerey

John McCleerey, 82, Dies Sunday

John William McCleerey, 82, resident of Lusk for many years, died at the State Hospital in Evanston Sunday morning from the infirmities of old age. He had been taken there for care in December 1961.

Funeral Services will be held from the Peet Chapel Thursday afternoon with the Rev. Roger Koen, minister of the Baptist Church, officiating.

Mr. McCleerey was born August 25, 1880 in Monana County, Ia., the only son of Frank M. and Elizabeth Nier McCleerey. There were five sisters. When he was yet a baby, the family homesteaded in Minnesota, but returned the next year to Iowa to farm near Smithland where John grew up and attended school.

He married Sophia Margaret Lloyd at Smithland June 17, 1906, and the first four years were spent on a farm there. They came to Lusk in February 1910 and homesteaded eight miles south of Lusk in the Royal Valley Community. In 1914 the family returned to Iowa remaining there until 1943 when they came back to Lusk and have lived here since. Mrs. McCleerey died July 20, 1959.

Survivors include three sons: Floyd of Manville, Earl of Alexandria, Va., and Owen of Big Timber, Mont.; two daughters, Mrs. Tom McCoy of Lakefork, Ida., and Mrs. Albert Hoy of Lusk; two sisters, Mrs. Willis Morgan and Mrs. Alice Simons of Lusk; ten grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Harry Carlisle, Chuck Vaughan, Robert Black, Archie Huey, Bill Glandt, Stanley Johnson. Honorary pallbearers will be Glen Darnall, Roy McLain, Slim Tibbits, Dave Wilson, Bud Butler.

One son, Ralph was killed in France in World War II.

Earl, Owen and Mrs. McCoy have arrived here to be with the family.

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