Clovis Eugene “Gene” Steele age 93 of Joplin, Missouri passed away May 5, 2015 following an illness.
He was born October 1, 1921 in Galena, Missouri to the late Grover and Rosa Belle Wilson Steele.
He attended Joplin Schools and MSSC where attaining 118 credit hours. Clovis worked for the former M & O Cigar factory, Earl Smith and Phil Jones groceries, he was a meat cutter for Homer Hatfield and Bob Murry, driver for the 7up Bottle Company, and was a driver for Higdon Florist.
Clovis entered the United States Army in 1942, taking basic training at Camp Callen, California. He served in the South Pacific with 785th AAA 40 mil.gun BN, which was part of the 14th AA Command. During this time he served as a lineman and a Morse Code operator. During the Cold War he served with the 2nd armored Constabulary and the Quartermaster in Augsburg, Germany. He served in Korea in the 8th Army as chief of clerks of the 142nd Quartermaster BN at Pusan, Korea. The next station for Clovis was at Fort Riley, Kansas with the 63rd armor, 1st Infantry Division. He was also stationed at Wildwood Station, Alaska and in Vietnam. Clovis recruited in, Green Bay, Wisconsin and Springfield, Missouri. He then served in the 203rd National Guard and in the Army Reserves. He retired on February 3, 1973 with 29 ½ years of service with the rank SFC.
Clovis was a life member and past Commander of V.F.W. post 534, a life member of Joplin Elks 501, a member of American Legion Post 13, a member of the Military Order of the Cooties, a member of Cherokee Nation West, and a board member of the John C. Cox Cemetery.
He was baptized in New Guinea. Clovis loved Country western, the Big Bands, and Gospel music.
Clovis wrote many articles in the Joplin Globe and a book on growing up in Joplin East town and the Great Depression. He loved to grow flowers and feed birds. Clovis was an avid reader of the Bible and was a very generous person.
He will be greatly missed by his wife Pauline, who he married January 20, 2011 in Springfield, Missouri, nephews, nieces, and many cousins and friends.
Clovis was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Helen who passed, October 6, 1996, and a daughter Daisy Marie Ball, who passed in March, 2004
Funeral services will be 2:00 pm Friday May 8, 2015 at the Thornhill-Dillon Mortuary chapel with Randy Steele officiating. Burial with Military Honors will follow at the Forest Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends Thursday from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the mortuary.
The family request contributions to VFW Post 534, Elks Lodge 501, or American Legion Post 13 in care of Thornhill-Dillon Mortuary.
Rest in peaces great grandpa. Let grandma know I was found
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