OBITUARY:
Clarence Edwin Staats, 87, one of the oldest remaining Polk county native sons, passed away Friday in a Salem hospital. Mr. Staats had been in failing health for a number of years, following a stroke suffered some five or six years ago. He was born at Airlie on February 23, 1858, the son of the late Isaac W. and Orlena M. Staats, early Polk county pioneers. He was the last survivor of their family of seven children. Mr. Staats spent his entire life in the county where he was born. He was married to Sarah Emily Tarter at Airlie in 1881. They engaged in farming at Airlie until 1919 when he retired and established his home in Dallas. He served for a number of years as janitor at the elementary school.
Mr. Staats, prior to his illness, was a familiar figure about the streets and had a wide acquaintance throughout the county. He was one of the warmest boosters for the old Twilight League, never missing a game and accompanying the Dallas teams on all their jaunts to other communities. He was a life member of Jennings Lodge No 9, AF&AM, and for a number of years was clerk of the WOW camp at Airlie.
He is survived by his wife, who for the past several months has made her home at Carlton, and two sons, Dr. V.C. Staats of Carlton and V.L. Staats of Oceanlake. A daughter Mrs. Eva Clair Ritner, was fatally injured in an automobile collision near Bridgeport on Memorial day 1938.
Fuenral services were held Monday afternoon at the Henkle & Bollman chapel with Masonic services in charge of Jennings Lodge No 9. Rev. D.V. Poling of Corvallis officiited. Interment was in the pioneer English cemetery, now relocated south of Monmouth.
Itemizer Observer, Thursday, 9 Aug 1945, 4:1
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