Gene Taylor "Beanie" Clark, 83, of St. Anthony, died Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at his home of natural causes.

He was born in Wilford, by the Teton River, on June 4, 1929. He was the youngest son of John Taylor Clark and Emma Jane Brown Clark.

His mother died when he was very young and his was to be a life dedicated to hard work and making a successful life on his own grit and determination. He was taken in by various families and the people in Teton were very dear to his heart, especially the Crane family.

His fondest memories of his early life were sheep herding with his father. He often recounted how much he loved working the sheep. One story he told was as a lad of only 9 years of age, how his father counted on him to drive a team of horses and wagon up to the sheep camp all by himself.

He learned responsibility at a young age. When he attended school in Wilford and Teton he was expected to race home at noon to punch the bread down for his mother.

He married Geraldine Ruth Welker in Dillon, Montana. He always said that he and Gerry grew up together. This marriage would last until his death, 66 years later.
He always dreamed of having a family and toiled his life providing for their well being. But, as often confirmed, he never had a job that he didn't like or learn something from. Among the many jobs that he had were a sheep herder, gas station attendant, potatoes, dry farm, plumber, railroad, brick layer and masonry contractor.


His hobbies included fishing the Snake River, and the Railroad Ranch, before it became legal to do so, and golfing. He loved to watch kids play sports, woodworking and, of course, hard work.


The morning of his passing, he ate a hearty breakfast and trudged out to do one of his favorite jobs, shoveling snow. He loved to see the snow neatly piled on each side of his driveway and sidewalk. When the job was done, he simply went into the house, sat down in his favorite place in the kitchen, and rested from a life well lived and worked hard.


Gene was preceded in death by his parents, his in-laws, three brothers, Arnie, Jack, and Bert Clark; his sister, Garnot Bischoff; and one granddaughter, Jamie Dawn Clark Nelson. Gene is survived by his wife of 66 years, Gerry Clark and their three children, Connie (Fred) Engbretson, Karen (Francisco) Diaz and Rick (Terri) Clark, as well as eight grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren.


Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. in the St. Anthony LDS Stake Center with Bishop Kyle Moore of the St. Anthony 4th Ward officiating. The family will receive friends on Friday from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at Bert Flamm Mortuary (581 E. 1st N., St. Anthony) and again on Saturday from 12:00 noon until 12:45 p.m. at the Stake Center. Burial will be in the Wilford Cemetery.