Clayton L. Bristow, 89, of Davenport passed away Saturday, June 27, 2015 at the Davenport Lutheran Home. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am, Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at Grace Lutheran Church in Davenport. Visitation will be from 4-7 pm, Tuesday at the Runge Mortuary. Burial, with military honors by Vietnam Veterans Chapter 299, will be in Walcott Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Grace Lutheran Church or the Davenport Lutheran Home, where in the final four months of life, he was cared for by a group of nurses, aides and therapists who are simply “Angels on Earth”. Online condolences may be expressed at www.rungemortuary.com.
Clayton Lorenz Bristow was born December 28, 1925 in Sioux City, Iowa. He and his twin sister Barbara Janet, were the first set of twins born in the new hospital.
He was a star athlete at Central High School in Sioux City and was the Senior Class President. After graduation in 1943, he joined the Merchant Marines with his best friend Bob Brookins and proudly served his country in World War II.
After the war, he enrolled at Morningside College in Sioux City and excelled on the basketball team. The team were the conference champions in 1947. He was a teammate of Norm Mathers, the father of Jerry Mathers of “The Leave it to Beaver” TV show. At college he met the love of his life, Lyla, (Lamar as he called her). They married June 24, 1950 at Stratford Lutheran Church. He briefly played semi-pro basketball with the Waterloo Hawks, before finding his true calling as a teacher and coach. He began his long teaching and coaching career in Buffalo Center, Iowa in 1951, where two daughters, Becki and Sue were born.
In 1956 he moved his family to Davenport to take a teaching/coaching job at Frank L. Smart Jr. High. He first taught Geography and within a few years got his dream job as Physical Education teacher. Clayton shaped countless young men, not only instructing them in an athletic skill, but on ways to be a better person.
He was thrilled to have a son born in 1960 and named him after his best friend, Bob. A few years earlier Bob had named his first son after Clayton.
Clayton taught school until May 1987. He and Lyla traveled frequently, such as on cruises to Alaska and Hawaii and bike trips in England and Maine. In 1985 they biked TOGIR (The Other Great Iowa Ride). In 1987 he made a hole-in-one, which for the avid golfer he was, was a big thrill. Several times he ran the BIX and won awards for his age group. He went on an Honor Flight to Washington, DC and was one of a very few veterans not to be in a wheelchair or need assistance.
After 63 years of marriage, Clayton was parted from Lyla when she died in 2013. He had lived in Independent housing at Garner Farms from 2008 through Friday, February 13, 2015, when he broke his hip. After surgery, he went to the Lutheran Home for rehabilitation. After working hard in therapy to try to get to Assisted Living, he contracted pneumonia around Easter and could never get stronger.
He is survived by his children Becki (Harley) Youngmeyer of Mason, Ohio, Sue (Will) Stone of The Villages, Florida, Bob (Rhonda) Bristow of Bettendorf, Iowa. Two granddaughters are Sandy Youngmeyer of Chicago and Kristin Youngmeyer of Columbus, Ohio. Three step grandchildren are Tara Farrington of Davenport, Brian Stone of Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Bruce Stone of Culver City, California. Three great grandchildren, Ella Farrington of Davenport, Campbell Stone of Culver City and Sophie Stone of Sheboygan. Also surviving are brothers, sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his wife, Lyla, Clayton was preceded in death by his parents Clarence and Elizabeth Bristow, his twin sister and brother-in-law Barbara and James Scallin and nieces Susan and Pat Scallin.
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