Obit: Starks, John E. (1902 - 1953)
Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Starks, Shortell, Glendenning, BeBoer

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 09/24/1953

Starks, John E. (17 AUG 1902 - 17 SEP 1953)

John Everett Starks, 51, Clerk of the Town of Thorp (Clark Co., Wis.), a prominent and respected citizen who was well known in Clark County, died suddenly Thursday morning, Sept. 17, 1953 at the farm home of his brother Emory in the northern part of Thorp township where he had been staying for the past two weeks.

He had been helping with haying at the farm Thursday morning and went into the house basement to get a drink of water. He was found a little later at the foot of the basement stairs. Death is attributed to a heart attack.

Mr. Starks was born in Stanley, Wis., on Aug. 17, 1902. In 1903 he moved with his parents to the farm in the Town of Thorp which was homesteaded by his grandfather. He attended the Stanley High School and graduated with the class of 1925. After graduation he worked as a milk hauler and trucker, and for the past seventeen years was clerk of the Town of Thorp. He served as 4-H Club leader and was also with the PMA (Soils Conservation) department as agent. He also served as clerk of the Roger Creek School.

Mr. Starks was very active in civic affairs, well liked throughout the community and county for his friendliness and desire to extend a helping hand to all. He will be sadly missed by everyone.

Surviving him are one brother, Emory of Thorp; five sisters (only four listed), Edyth, Mrs. Frank Shortell, Vesper; Evelyn, Mrs. Hugh Glendenning, Augusta; Arpin and Eldrey, Mrs. Lester BeBoer of Wausau. His parents preceded him in death.

Funeral services were conducted by Rev. John Wild at the Presbyterian Church at Stanley at 2:00 o’clock Monday afternoon and interment took place in the Oakland Cemetery at Stanley. Pallbearers were Walter Brenner, Art Evenson, Philip McCaffery, Verne Peete, Roy Forestr and Robert Rasmussen.