Wayne Warren Clark passed away February 28, 2020 in Rapid City, South Dakota at the age of 82. Wayne was born in Crawford Nebraska to Alvin “Pete” Clark and Edna Hume Clark on August 14, 1937.
Wayne attended elementary school in Marsland and Hemingford, Nebraska and graduated from Hemingford High School in 1955 He worked as a farm laborer before volunteering for the United States Army in 1957. He served in Korea as a jeep mechanic and fulfilled his military duties until 1962. He was very proud to have served his country.
He met Marjorie Pugh at the Box Butte County Fair and they were married on December 5, 1958 in Alliance, Nebraska. They were blessed with two children. Their son Rick was born on September 29, 1960 and their daughter Lori was born on September 23, 1964.
Wayne worked for Ernie Koester Farms near Alliance until he and Marge rented land and begin farming on their own West of Alliance. In 1968 they bought their farm Northeast of Berea where they lived and raised their children until they purchased a home in Alliance in October of 2017. In 2018 Wayne’s Alzheimer’s disease made it impossible for Marge to care for him at home, after that he lived in a memory care facility in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Wayne loved his family, farming, horses, and buying and selling cattle. He enjoyed morning “coffee” with the other farmers, as well as going to the local livestock auctions. Wayne was known by area ranchers for buying bred cows and selling their calves as replacements.
He loved buying and selling horses and raised quarter horses for a few years. He was an avid team roper and was very proud of his children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments in the sport of rodeo. Wayne enjoyed friends and family roping with him, and everyone was always welcome to practice in his arena at their farm. He was very involved with the Alliance Roping Club and a director for the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association.
Wayne was a huge sports fan. He enjoyed watching almost every sport. He loved the New York Yankees and the Colorado Rockies. His favorite football teams were the Denver Broncos and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He attended at least one Colorado Rockies and one Nebraska Cornhusker football game every year for several years. Marge and Wayne also enjoyed going to Alliance High School and Hemingford High School sporting events.
Wayne was a kind man who loved to make jokes. Even when Alzheimer’s consumed his life he could still find ways to make those around him laugh.
Wayne was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie and his parents.
He is survived by his son Rick (Mickie) of Hemingford, his daughter Lori (Marvin) Larabee of Rapid City, South Dakota. His granddaughters Sara Clark (Justin Allison) of Augusta, Georgia and Alliance, Nebraska and Corley Clark and his beloved great-grandson Evryn Kozal of Alliance. His brother Dell (Karen) Clark of Alliance, sister Donna (Clell) Riesen of Minatare, Nebraska, and sister-in-law Diane Hugh of Grand Island, Nebraska as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be given to the Hemingford Volunteer Firefighters Association.
Funeral services will be Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bates-Gould Chapel with Reverend Gary Belk officiating. Burial will be in the Hemingford Cemetery with military honors.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com