Clayton V. White, 104, of Kalona, died Thursday, November 26, 2020, at the Pleasantview Home in Kalona. He has been cremated and the family will hold a celebration of life at a later date. A memorial fund has been established for Mennonite Central Committee, Iowa City Hospice, and the Kalona Public Library. The Beatty Peterseim Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Clayton Vern White was born January 1, 1916, in rural Johnson County, the son of William and Magdalena (Miller) White. He attended Center High School in Sharon Center and graduated from Huron High School near Burlington. He began work in Civilian Public Service in Dennison, Iowa and later transferred to Madison, Wisconsin, where he was a herdsman at the Friday Dairy. On June 1, 1941, he was united in marriage to Verda Burkey in Milford, Nebraska. After her death he later married Leola Hershberger. Clayton was a lifelong farmer, sold Pioneer Seed and worked at Yoder Feeds. He was a member of West Union Mennonite Church where he served as an elder, Sunday school teacher and treasurer. After moving to Kalona, he was a groundskeeper at the Kalona Historical Village and did all the buying for the corner store at Pleasantview Home. Clayton enjoyed gardening, the JW’s Coffee Club, farming, being with family and friends, fishing and Hawkeye sports.
Survivors include three daughters: Gloria (Dwayne) Drager of Iowa City, Donna (Darwin) Jones of Kalona, Karalee (Calvin) Martin of Crawfordsville, five grandchildren: Jennifer Jones of Chicago, IL, Kristofer (Allison) Drager of Fort Mills, SC, Krlyn Drager of Iowa City, Anthony (Jackie) Martin of Ankeny, Allison Martin of Ankeny, three great-grandchildren: Jakob Drager, Avery Drager and Kennedy Martin and four step-children: Dale (Joan) Hershberger, Ed (Bobbie) Hershberger, Shirley (Gaylord) Yoder and Clayton (Tina) Hershberger.
Preceding Clayton in death was his wife Verda in 1996 and wife Leola in 2016, and six siblings: Walter and Glen White, Wanda Marner, Olivia Steckly, Wahneta Detweiler and Edith White.