In Memory

Rone Clawson

1928-2012

This is my favorite picture of Grandpa Clawson. It was taken at Jeff and Kapri's wedding in California. 

He's holding Carson who was three months old at the time. 

When I think of Grandpa Clawson I think of…

His big hands with his ruby ring.

His orange fuzzy recliner.

The smell of potatoes and dirt.

His strong voice singing the hymns in sacrament.

Visiting him in the potato cellar during harvest and having him show my how to

work the piler.

The time he had surgery (don’t remember on what exactly) and he had these massive

bruises on his lower back/hip area.

His famous horse-back rides and watching him give my kids those same rides.

Suspenders.

Cadillacs.

His shinny hair always perfectly in place, even in the middle of the potato field.

A strong, constant man that you can take at face value.

His testimonies that he bore in sacrament pretty much every fast Sunday.

The many missions that he and Grandma have served.

Tan lines in his elbows from when we did that handcart trek.

When he dressed up for the Nauvoo pageant and sang and danced onstage.

When he played Elvis at the ward Christmas party.

Sitting on his lap while steering the Cadillac home from church.

I remember when we went to Nauvoo to visit them on their mission. I remember

visiting the Carthage Jail and going upstairs to wear the mob attack was. Seeing

the bullet holes and hearing the story really made it come to life for me. One of

the defining points in my testimony was after hearing the tape of what happened

and then hearing Grandpa bare his testimony. I don’t remember what he said

exactly but I remember feeling the spirit and having it testify to me that what

happened in that room was true and that Joseph died as a martyr.

When he and Grandma came up to Moscow for Ryan’s graduation from Law

School, it really meant a lot to us. We were really surprised that they wanted

to make the long drive but it was so great to have them come up. It was an

important time in our lives and we’ll always remember how they sacrificed to be a

part of it.

I loved seeing my boys creating a bond with their great-grandpa. When we came

down to Firth to visit, Carson and Reese were fascinated by his tape measurer.

They had the best time just playing with Grandpa Rone and his tape measurer.

The next day, Grandpa brought over a little mini tape measurer for the boys and

they still like to play with/fight over it.

It's amazing that he wrote this book a year before he died.

Grandpa served in Korea.

See you later Grandpa!