Wilma Ellen Clow Bear was born March 17, 1924, to Alfred Ross and
Perlina Myrtle O'Connor Clow, the 5th of 6 children during a Kansas
blizzard. She was born approximately 10 miles north of Waldo, Kansas, and
spent the next 97 years within 20 miles of her place of birth. When
Wilma was a young child the family moved from north of Waldo to a farm
home a few miles south of Waldo where she lived with her parents and
siblings, Harry Clow(Minnie), Alberta Clow-Beam(Ralph), Bernice
Clow-Zweifel(Robert-Bob), Thelma Clow-Messer(Ray), and Leona
Clow-Fink(Jack). Leona is the only surviving member of the family.
Wilma's mother passed away when she was only six years old, so she was
raised by her father and older siblings.
After graduating from Waldo High School in the class of 1942, she
attended Fort Hays State college to receive her teacher's certificate.
She then taught school for the next two years in a one room, one teacher
country school south of Waldo. She had all eight grades even though
there were not actually children in each grade. She was the teacher,
janitor, security guard, and anything else that needed to be done.
At the end of the second school year, she had fallen in love and
married James Elden Bear. They had been married for 54 years when Elden
preceded her in death on March 11, 1999.
Elden and Wilma purchased the farm where she had lived during her
pre-school days. She remained on that same farm until this last year
when she had to be moved into the Parkview Care Center in Osborne,
Kansas. Wilma participated in all of many things that farming life has
to offer. She milked cows, fed baby calves(she loved to watch the new
baby calves run), fed pigs, raised chickens, gardened, drove a tractor
when needed(back when tractors were much simpler) all while raising her
own four children and attending school functions, PTA meetings, sports
events. During her last several years living alone on the farm, waiting
for the mailman was one of her favorite activities. She enjoyed
hearing from family and friends. She also loved to feed the birds and
watch for her Cardinals to come to the feeder.
Wilma is survived by three of her children, Richard and Roxsann Bear
of Spring Texas, David and Patty Bear of Waldo, Kansas, and Debbie and
Dave Garrett of Olathe, Kansas.
She was preceded in death by her oldest daughter, Linda Bear-Graves and her son-in law, Roy Graves of Paoli, Oklahoma.
She leaves behind 11 Grand children, 17 great-grand children, and 23 great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Click HERE for service details.