John Beecher Clough

John Beecher Clough died Thursday, January 10, 2008 at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois of complications resulting from a strangulated hernia.

He was born on January 3, 1914 in Osceola, Iowa, the son of Otto Clough and Grace Bristol Clough. He grew up on a farm east of Osceola, graduated from Osceola High School in 1930, and graduated from Iowa State College in 1934 with a bachelor of science degree in animal husbandry.

He worked as the Assistant County Agricultural Drought Relief Director in Decatur County from 1934 to 1935; County 4-H Club Agent in Jasper and Keokuk Counties from 1935 to 1938; County Extension Agent in Osceola and Buchanon Counties from 1938 to 1943; Regional Field Director for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation from 1943 to 1951; Executive Secretary and organizer of the Maine Farm Bureau Association from 1951 to 1954; Northeast and Midwest Field Services Director of the American Farm Bureau Federation from 1954 to 1968; and organizer of the American Farm Bureau Service Company from 1968 until his retirement in 1979.

In 1938 he married Sigourney native Ruth Ragan. They had two sons, John David Clough in 1939 and Robert Ragan Clough in 1942. His career took him and later his family to Leon, Newton, Sigourney, Sibley, Independence, Des Moines, and from Iowa to the states of Maine, Maryland, and Illinois.

He is preceded in death by his father Otto Clough, his mother Grace Bristol Clough, his brother Truman Clough, his wife Ruth Ragan Clough, and his sister Marian Clough Leo, and his niece Cynthia Seibel. He is survived by his children John David Clough and Robert Ragan Clough; his grandchildren Mary Beth Clough Collins, Carol Ann Clough Polin, and David Clough; his great grand children Elizabeth Collins, William Collins, Joseph Polin, Gabriella Polin, Adrian Polin, David Clough, Paige Clough, and Reagan Clough; his sister in law Dorothy Seibel; and his nieces and nephews Truman Clough, Florence Ann Clough Conroy, Roger Clough, Marilyn Leo Park, Virginia Leo Lein, David Seibel, and Michael Leo.

Visitation was from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Monday January 14, 2008 at the Holm Funeral Home. Services were at 10:30am on Tuesday January 15, 2008 at the Methodist Church in Sigourney, with Pastor John Hembry presiding.