(veteran)

LaVerne J. Clarkson of Arlington died Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006, in rural Arlington as the result of a grain bin accident.

Funeral services were Saturday, Oct 7, at Arlington Community Church, with Pastor Burt Williams officiating. Internment was at the Arlington Cemetery, with military honors provided by American Legion Post No. 71 and V.F.W. Post No. 8332, both of Arlington.

LaVerne J. Clarkson was born Aug. 15, 1933, in Sutherland to James and Bernadine (Reicks) Clarkson. He lived at Concord and was a 1952 graduate of Concord High School.

He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from Aug. 6, 1953, to May 27, 1955, and was stationed in Japan.

He had previously lived at Wayne, Cozad, Pilger, and Wausa. He was a former member and fire chief of the Wausa Volunteer Fire Department and a former member of the Wausa Fair Board. He worked as a farm equipment mechanic while living in these areas.

He moved to Arlington in 1980, and was employed by Rhea Farms of Arlington, where he was the general manager of the alfalfa department.

He was a member of the Arlington Community Church, and was a former member of the Arlington Volunteer Fire Department and V.F.W. Post No. 8332 of Arlington. He was a member of American Dehydrators Association. He dearly loved his grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them.

On May 12, 1954, he married Joyce Nelson at Colorado Springs, Colo. His wife survives him, as do two sons and daughters-in-law, Kerry and Kathy Clarkson of Wausa and Darrin and Julie Clarkson of Scottsbluff; two daughters and sons-in-law, Deb and Doug Cunningham of Wausa and Tammi and Loren Loberg of Norfolk; five brothers and sisters-in-law, Le Roy and Sally Clarkson of Neligh, Keith and Doris Clarkson of Laurel, Leonard and Carol Clarkson of Crofton, Francis and Kathy Clarkson of Scottsbluff, and Bob and Deb Clarkson of Concord; sister, Sylvia Evert of Fremont; 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents.

A memorial will be established in his name at a later date. Reckmeyer-Moser Funeral Home was in charge.

# 2 - - Published in the World Herald on October 5, 2006

GRAIN BIN ACCIDENT KILLS ARLINGTON MAN

A 73-year old rural Arlington, Neb., man died Wednesday night while working inside a grain bin at Rhea Cattle Co. in Arlington.

LaVerne J. Clarkson was in a grain bin nearly full of feed pellets about 10:15 p.m. when he started to sink, said Detective Sgt. Jeff Young of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Clarkson had told a fellow employee to shut off the auger. After doing that, the man returned to find Clarkson almost fully covered by the pellets.

The death, Young said, was considered a combination of asphyxiation and constriction.

Funeral arrangements are pending. -Abe Winter