Jean A. Bess

Jean Arlene (Clingan-Gray-Robison) Bess, 102, of Davenport, IA, passed away on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. At her request, only a private family graveside service will be held. She will be laid to rest in Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery at the side of John E. Bess, Jr. Memorials may be made to the family.

Jean was born on July 29, 1922 at the family farm home, Northeast of Ollie, in Keokuk County, IA, the first daughter of George Alvin and Gladys May Bottger Clingan.

The family relocated from Keokuk County to Jefferson County in 1936, eventually settling about 4 miles East of Fairfield. She temporarily resided in Abilene, TX in 1942-1943 while her husband, W.L. Gray was in training with the 90th infantry division for the June 1944 “D-Day” invasion of Normandy, France. Otherwise, her life prior to moving to Davenport in 1967 was spent in the Southeast Iowa Counties of Keokuk (Ollie), Jefferson (Fairfield), Henry (Oakland/Mills/ Mt. Pleasant), Van Buren (Cantril), predominantly in farm related activities.

At an early age, Jean was actively contributing to house, garden, and farm chores, to include helping her mother cook on a wood stove for the family of 10, as well as for field hands during threshing/ harvesting season. By age 10 she was driving a team of work horses pulling farm equipment, assisting her father when he planted crops. By her early teens she also milked up to 10 cows by hand, and used a hand-operated machine to separate the cream from the milk. The resulting monthly “cream check” was essential to providing for basic food stuff and other necessary items. Not unusual at the time, her formal education ended in 1936 with completion of the 8th grade, although she did earn her G.E.D. certificate later in life.

Early on she developed a love for horses and a favorite was her beautiful light grey Percheron workhorse named Pearl. It was a very sad day when Pearl died. Although there was a few other horses throughout the years, the love for horses wasn’t fully realized until the early 1980’s when her daughter, Lana and granddaughter, Carmen, began building a small string of Arabian horses, all related to each other

In the mid 1950’s, dairy cow involvement became more focused on registered animals (Guernsey, Jersey, and Holstein). She maintained the related paperwork and worked towards hard improvement and increased production by incorporating better bloodlines.

Jean was a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Davenport and faithfully contributed even when she was unable to attend regularly.

Her husband, John, was a member of NARFE (National Association of Retired Federal Employees) and she always supported fund raising projects and sometimes baked many dozens of cookies. While it was feasible, she and John traveled to Hawaii and Europe but mostly just to visit friends and family in the continental U.S.

She is survived by her brothers, George Dean Clingan and Dale W. (Jackie) Clingan; children, Ronald W. (Marguerite) Gray and daughters, Lana J. Bustos and Arlette D. (Jeff) Janzer; step children, Raymond E. (Connie) Robison, Janice E. Jedkins, Leonard R. Robison, and Carol Jonann; grandchildren, Brian D. (Trish) Gray, Jennifer A. (Justin) Lawrentz, Eric J. (Monica) Ehlers, David G. Bustos, Carla L. Bustos, Carmen J. (Andy) Reynolds, and Aubrey A. Janzer; and great grandchildren, Jackson A. Gray, Lily S. Lawrentz, and Molly R. Reynolds.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Gladys Clingan; grandparents, Alvin M. and Louisa Horning Clingan and Charles C. and Osee Ivy Fye Bottger; husbands, Walter L. Gray, George D. Robison, and LTC (ret.) John E. Bess, Jr; infant brother, Walter D. Clingan; brothers, Charles A. Clingan, John Omer Clingan, and Franklin M. Clingan; sisters, Geneva Maxine Randall and Betty JoAnn Coffin; and stepson, John E. Bess III.