One can appreciate his family’s sensitiveness about sick missionaries; they had already lost one boy on a mission (Ezra James?) and John A. died while at Haifa in Palestine while on a mission. I have heard that this is the only family in the church who has lost two boys on missions. In this connection, last year while on a tour, I visited the grave of John A. at Haifa.

After returning from his mission to California, Father lived out the remainder of his days in Farmington.

His daughter Herma said of him, "I guess I did not really know Father until the last years of his life. He was sweet and gentle and kind and had time to be friendly and considerate. He never said a word about his loss."

He passed away July 2, 1938, having known prosperity and hardship, happiness and sorrow, but having always kept the faith.

Here are a few related items I would like to mention. When in Haifa last year, we visited the grave of John A. Clark. The inscription on the headstone gave February 8, 1895 as his death date. The large family monument at Farmington list February 8, 1894. I have a letter in my hand, purporting to be from John A. to his father; dated August 22, 1894; so I would assume the date at Haifa to be the right one.

One would expect that father’s posterity, to the last generation, would have learned to, “Never endorse another person’s note at the bank, unless you are ready, willing, and able to pay all of it.” One man has said, “Interest is that little device that was invented to make half of the world rich and the other half poor.”

This story, I have heard father tell two or three times, once when I was just a little tike. I did not get the meaning of it for a few years, but if properly understood, I think it indicates something of Father’s character. The story: 

“The queen needed a new driver for her coach and six black horses. Her ministers interviewed several prospects. The first man said, ‘I can drive the coach to within six inches of the brink of the chasm at dead man’s point.’ The second man said, ‘I can drive so close the outside of the wheels are even with the edge of the chasm.’ The third man said, ‘I can drive with half the width of the tires over the edge of the chasm.’ The fourth man was called and asked, ‘How close can you drive to the edge of the chasm?’ He replied with a little embarrassment, ‘I don’t know. When I go around that curve I stay as far from the edge as I can get.’ He got the job!”

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