Clara L Horton

Clara L Horton, 92, passed away Saturday, February 4, 2017. She was born on February 15, 1924, in Tekoa, Washington, to Sara and Everett Harper. Her early years were spent in the Wallace, Idaho, area and was the place she really loved a lot. She could entertain us for hours on end, telling us of her time spent living at the Jack Waite Mine, high in the hills above Eagle, at a place call Duthie, Idaho.

After moving to Pomeroy, Washington, her father, Everett was in a bad car accident and passed away on August 29, 1929. Her mother was badly injured also, and spent many months in the hospital. Clara was put in a Catholic Academy for quite some time while her mother was healing. When Clara's mother was better, they all went back to the Jack Waite Mine, where her mother met Meryl Drewer. They eventually married and Meryl adopted the kids. That was the beginning of the Drewer family.

In October of 1932, Clara, her mom, sisters, and brother Jack, moved to Mullan, Idaho. There were too many snow slides up at the Mine site, so Meryl stayed there at the mine, and came down for visits when he could. When the weather broke in the spring, it was back to the Jack Waite Mine. Clara finally moved to Jackson Street in Electric City, Washington, January of 1939. The "boy next door" happened to be Herb Horton, and after a time they were married June 13, 1942. While Herb was in the Navy, during WWII, Clara worked as a nurse at the Mason City Hospital. Over time they had four children: Sharon, Ben, Billy and Cheryl. Clara was a loving mother and will be missed by us all.

She was preceded in death by her father, Everett Harper; mother, Sara; stepfather, Meryl; brother, Jack; sisters: Lois and Marie; son, Billy; daughter, Sharon; and husband of 70 years, Herb.

She is survived by her sister, June; daughter, Cheryl; and son, Ben.

Please feel free to join us at Strate Funeral Home in Grand Coulee on Saturday, February 18, 2017, at 1 p.m., for a celebration of Clara's life. Please sign the online guestbook at http://www.stratefuneralhome.com. Strate Funeral Home, Grand Coulee,Washington, is caring for the Horton family.