Clyde Plummer

(From Parker Mortuary)

Clyde Wesley Plummer, 91, of Joplin, MO passed away January, 22 2021 in a work-related accident.

Clyde spent many years working in the mobile home business. Initially he worked for mobile home manufacturing and sales companies to transport new homes to their placement site and then doing all the set-up tasks to prepare the home for occupation. 

After many years he began expanding and developing his business to also become an independent operator. This included the aspect of working directly with customers. As an independent operator his business expanded to handling all the permitting responsibilities and coordination aspects. Many customers then also contracted with him again to handle subsequent transportations for additional relocations. 

Clyde began teaching his teenage son Charles so that he could assist with the moves. He taught his son all the aspects of the business. His son started his own company in 1968, Charles Plummer Mobile Home Moving. They worked together frequently for many years. 

When Clyde’s grandson came into the picture, Chad started assisting his father and grandfather and soon developed all the skills to handle the various aspects of the job. Clyde was very proud of his son and grandson and greatly enjoyed the three generations working side-by-side.

Clyde attended Sarcoxie High School and graduated in 1948. His classroom education of reading, writing, and arithmetic was something he did particularly favor. The part of high school he enjoyed most was football. He loved being on the football team and on the field. 

Even though he was smaller than most other players he became a star on the field. His fast running and maneuvering skills made him a valuable player. He caught many passes and made lots of touchdowns. He particularly being one of the team heroes and taken out for steaks after he made touchdowns! He told his children that his grades were not very good but he was promoted each year because of his value to the school’s football team.

Clyde’s high school sweetheart was Deola Lavon Culley. They both came from farming and cattle families and were active in Future Farmers of America (FFA). In Clyde’s senior year he was crowned King and Deola was Queen of FFA. Their plan after marriage was to continue in the farming community. That plan did not work out though. 

A multi-year drought hit southwest Mo and the small farm they developed did not survive. They moved from the country to the city. Joplin, MO eventually became their permanent home. Their children, Charles and Sharon, spent their entire school years in only that one home on West 5th Street. The location of that house was strategically located for the children. It was one block from the elementary school, 5 blocks from the junior high, and less than a mile to the high school and city library.

Clyde and Deola successfully raised the two children during their married life. They divorced in 1948. Both children brought them much pride. Charles developed a family and career in the Joplin area. It was a tremendous loss when Charles died at age 68 as a casualty of the worldwide pandemic of a novel coronavirus, COVID-19, just one day before Clyde’s fatal accident. Sharon stayed in Joplin through graduation from Missouri Southern State University. After college she moved to Houston, TX where she earned an MBA and then worked in Marketing for a large corporation.

As an adult Clyde had two athletic activities that he greatly enjoyed: bowling and water skiing. For many years he and Deola were in bowling leagues at Carl Richards 4th Street Bowling Alley. Their teams participated in many tournaments and won several of them. Clyde was an excellent bowler. He bowled several 300- point games. Carl Richards considered him a candidate for professional bowling and they worked together developing Clyde’s skills. Their children spent lots of evenings at the bowling alley while the parents bowled. As a young child Sharon often complained about how uncomfortable the hard, wooden seats were for sleeping. Boating and skiing on Grand Lake was Clyde’s other favorite family activity. Clyde became an excellent skier. He purchased a cabin boat and on most summer weekends the whole family was on the lake. Friends often joined them for the fun.

Clyde never met a stranger he didn’t like. There were two characteristics of Clyde which everyone who met him learned quickly. He loved meeting and conversing with people. And he loved his coffee “breaks” at restaurants and coffee counters. Fortunately, these two interests coincided beautifully. He would strike up friendly conservations with everyone he came into contact with. He enjoyed sharing his life stories and experiences in mobile home moving. Strangers quickly changed from acquaintances to life-long friends. It seemed that everyone in SW Missouri and beyond knew Clyde Plummer.

His favorite past-time was meeting up with friends for coffee. His circle of friendships expanded at every coffee shop and pretty much anywhere else that people were present.

The family of Henry and Bessie was large. There were eight children who survived infancy: four girls and four boys. Clyde was number five in birth order. An interesting observation about these siblings is that Clyde was the only one who continued the family surname to succeeding generations. Clyde’s combination of son-to-son births has continued, so far, to five generations from Henry through Clyde. Henry and Bessie’s four sons each bore a son, but those sons had all daughters or had sons who did not have children. The Plummer lineage is from Henry to Clyde, Clyde to Charles, Charles to Chad, Chad to Chase, Chase to Cannen (his birth is imminent). There is a fun fact about a naming tradition of boys that has developed in Clyde’s progeny. All first names begin with “C” and all middle names are Wesley. So, all the initials are CWP.

Clyde was 91 years and six months of age at his death. Throughout life his health had always been excellent. He derived much satisfaction in his lifelong good health and strength. One of his favorite sayings over the last several years of his life when it came to talking about his age and possibility of death was: “At my age I don’t expect to live much longer. I expect I’ll live only about another 20 years.” He was killed while working underneath a mobile home during set up for a customer. A jack that was holding up the mobile home slipped and the home came crashing down on him. His death was not due to illness, natural causes, or old age. It took 50,000 pounds of a mobile home falling on top of him to snatch his long healthy life away from him. His family and many, many friends will certainly miss him and his lively conversations.

Clyde was preceded in death by siblings Ross Plummer, L.D. Plummer, Jewel Fenimore, Darlene Wilson, and Joe Plummer; son Charles Plummer (who sadly died due to COVID-19 on the day previous to Clyde).

He is survived by daughter Sharon Plummer (Chandler Davidson) of Houston, TX; his sisters Thelma Bass of Carthage, MO and Ailene DeWelt (Nelson Williams) of Joplin; his grandson Chad (Tammie) of Carl Junction, MO; his great-grandson Chase (Sadie) of Carl Junction; his step great-granddaughter Ashley Garrett (Dakota) of Joplin; great-great-grandsons Mackson and soon to be born Cannen; goddaughter Amber Brewer and children Donald, Anthony, and Matthew Hignite and Keira Brewer-Lewis of Galena, KS; as well as a host of extended family and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at Parker Mortuary with Pastor Bob Cooper officiating. Burial will follow at Carl Junction Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please direct memorial contributions to his goddaughter and dear friend Amber Brewer to assist with care of her children. Contributions may be made in care of the mortuary. Arrangements are under the direction of Parker Mortuary.