Clara L. (Beck) Mortiboy, 94, of Davenport, IA passed away on February 20, 2023 at River Crossing of Moline. A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 31, 2023 at 11am; visitation will be from 10am until time of service. Memorials may be sent to: Iowa Bandmaster's Association, University of Iowa Music Department, Davenport School's music department, German American Heritage Center or a favorite charity.
Clara was born in Eldora, IA, September 1, 1928, the only child of Arthur Rudolph and Hazel Callaway Beck. She graduated from Union High School and received a bachelor's degree in music from Simpson College in Indianola, IA. She continued her education in music with a master’s degree from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Her first teaching position was at St. Katharine's Boarding School for girls in Davenport, where she spent three years. Following that, she taught in Bettendorf in elementary, junior high and middle school for sixteen years. The remainder of her forty-three years of teaching instrumental music was spent in Davenport. She taught at Frank L. Smart Junior High, Hayes, Monroe and Perry elementary, then moved to Walcott where she taught in Junior High, Blue Grass and Buffalo. She retired from teaching after spending eight more years at Sudlow, Central and North. She also taught private flute at Augustana College for two years.
She married Forrest "Mort" Mortiboy who was then the instrumental coordinator of music for the Davenport Schools and the two of them enjoyed traveling, having taken many trips in the United States and foreign countries. Since his death, she has been on all seven continents, visited 69 countries and all but two states in the United States.
After retirement, Clara taught private flute lessons, accompanied many soloists for recitals and contests and found a new interest in genealogy. She wrote a book about her mother, one on her mother's family, the Callaways, one on her father's family, the Becks, one about the Melrose Cemetery where her maternal relatives are buried. Currently she was working on books about her husband's families, the Mortiboys and the Nolops.
Clara was a member of Iowa Band Masters Association, Quad City Flute Association, Davenport Area Retired Teachers Association, German American Heritage Center, Iowa Historical Society, Iowa Genealogical Society, Putnam Museum, VanderVeer Botanical Center, Melrose Cemetery Association, The Callaway Association, Who's Who in America, and several genealogical research organizations. She enjoyed genealogy research, reading, cross word puzzles, playing piano, cooking, and gardening. She collected stamps and flute player figurines.
She is survived by a cousin, Terry (Rose) Schalk of San Jose, CA. Several stepchildren and grandchildren also survive; stepson, David Mortiboy of Bettendorf, IA, step grandson Brent Mortiboy (Bobbi) and their two daughters, Emily and Olivia, step grandsons John (Sheila) Kloster-Prew of Loveland, CO and Jerry (Renee) Prew and their two sons, C.J. and Connor of Lenexa, KS.
Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband, her stepdaughter Marcia Prew and Marcia's husband, Ben Prew, and her cousin Betty Jo Callaway of Jefferson, IA.
