Clarence Albert Davis 1892-1932
Categories: Milton Newspaper Obituary, The Burdick Corporation
"The Milton Junction Telephone", Milton Junction, Wisconsin, Thursday, June 2, 1932, p 2.
Clarence Davis, known familiarly to his many Milton friends as "Tobey", died at Battle Creek, Mich., on May 25, 1932, at the age of forty years.
Clarence A. Davis was born June 10, 1892, at Watson, N. Y.; before his marriage he attended Milton college for a time. He was married at North Loup, Neb., Sept. 17, 1919, to Arlie Gladys Thorngate. A son, Walter Ray Davis, was born to them Aug. 21, 1920. The boy Walter is now being brought up by his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Davis of Oneida, New York.
In accordance with the wishes of Clarence, as carried out by Dr. P. F. Van Den Daele of Battle Creek, Dean John N. Daland was summoned to conduct the funeral exercises. The Burdick corporation sent Walter Hudson to represent the company. He and Dean Daland left Milton at 1 p.m., May 26, and reached Battle Creek the same evening. The services were held at Hebble chapel at 10:30 a.m., May 27th.
Particularly appropriate and touching was the tribute sent by the men of the Burdick corporation, consisting of many red roses. Those who work at the same bench never forget their comrade.
Beautiful organ music was rendered after which Dean Daland began his address. He emphasized the sterling character of Clarence Davis, - his honesty and uprightness; never would he do anything which he thought was in the least degree wrong. He was one who was emphatically a good man - a kind and thoughtful father, an unselfish and genuine friend.
Dean Daland explained in some detail Clarence Davis' philosophical opinions, showing what a sincere and radical and audacious thinker he was. He investigated many schools of philosophy, read widely, reflected much, conversed with congenial friends, turned over ideas, long and patiently, and then arrived at mature conclusions. Such a man, Dean Daland said, could not be satisfied to accept the views of others; he could not be satisfied to confine his thought to the doctrines of any one church or any one denomination. He must range at will over all the fields of thought. "Large masses of people", the Dean said, "desire the supporting arms of an organization in order to maintain their thought. But there is a smaller group of men who must discover everything, review everything, and ponder everything for themselves, men like Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Paine, Walter Lippman, Upton Sinclair and others. To this smaller group of thinkers Clarence Davis belonged."
His sweetness of spirit, his kindness, his tolerance, his patience, his good will to all men were particularly stressed. The Dean said that the following words seemed to him to exactly express the tone and attitude of his friend: "Wherever truth shall lead me, there I must go and gladly."
At the grave in Memorial park the Dean spoke appropriate words.
At this funeral no prayer was uttered, for to offer prayer would not have been in accordance with the wishes or the beliefs of Clarence. Surrounded by the love and devotion of his friends the body of this good man was peacefully laid to rest in the bosom of mother earth.

"The North Loup Loyalist", North Loup, Nebraska, Friday, Dec. 17, 1917, p 1.
Arlie Thorngate Davis was born at this place, April 5, 1893, and died at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Thorngate, in this village early Saturday morning, December 11, 1920, aged about twenty-seven years and eight months.
In the spring of 1905 she was baptized, with a number of others by her pastor, Rev. M. B. Kelly, and became a member of the Seventh-day Baptist Church. From that time until her spirit returned to the God she loved and served, she was active in various departments of church work. The writer well remembers her as one of the most active and willing of the juniors when he was superintendent - so active and interested was she that the society sent her as its representative to the general conference in Boulder, Colorado.
She was a student in our schools, graduating with the class of 1910, together with several of her cousins. Following her graduation she taught one year on Davis Creek and then went to Milton, Wisconsin to enter college.
From this institution she received her diploma in 1915. She taught three years in the high schools of Wisconsin and one year in Missouri.
September 17, 1919, she was united in marriage with Clarence A. Davis, whom she had met in Milton. The marriage of her sister, Melva, and Rolland Maxson, took place at the same time. The same day the quartette left for their future home in Milton. On August 21 a little son was born to her, who with the sorrowing husband, parents, brothers and sisters, and many relatives and friends, is left to mourn her early death.
About two months before her death she was brought to her girlhood home in the hope that a change in climate would be helpful to her, but the white plague had fastened its hold upon her and she sank into peaceful rest from which there is no awakening.
Funeral services were conducted by Rev. A. L. Davis at the church Monday afternoon and the body was laid to rest in the North Loup Cemetery.
The bearers were her two brothers and four cousins. All her brothers and sisters were present at her funeral.
Arlie's death was the first in her generation of her family. This is quite remarkable in so large a family.
The music and the flowers were especially appropriate and beautiful.