Clara Nellie ‘Scott’ Gover was born on April 4, 1919, in Wathena, Kansas to Nellie ‘McCahon’ Scott and Henry Stewart Scott. She passed away March 16, 2012 at Sac-Osage Hospital at the age of 92 years, 11 months and 12 days.
Clara was born while her father, Henry was in the Navy. He did not get to see his daughter until she was 9 months old. After her father returned from the Navy, the family moved to Independence, MO and she spent the first few years of grade school there. When she was 9, the family moved back to Wathena, Kansas where she lived on a farm with the family. She graduated from grade school there. After she graduated grade school, the family moved back to Kansas City, Mo and she attended Central High School where she graduated in 1936.
After living on the farm in Wathena, Clara vowed that she would never live on a farm again. However, on Thanksgiving weekend 1935, she met Glen Elmer Gover, who was a farm boy and they fell in love at first sight. They were married on September 4, 1937. To this union two sons were born: Glenn Michael “Mick” born on January 18, 1939 and David Allen born on June 7, 1947.
Clara spent the next 39 years on the Gover family farm on the banks of the Osage River. In 1976, when Truman Lake was beginning to fill, Glen and Clara moved to a house they had built just east of Osceola and they lived there the rest of their lives. Clara was the light of Glen’s life. Glen fell on August 13, 2004 and was never able to return to his home after that. Clara found an anniversary card among his things that he had purchased and prepared to give her on their anniversary on September 4. That card meant so much to her.
Clara had many interests including gardening, flowers, painting and socializing with her many friends. She always had a large vegetable garden and many beautiful flowers. Over the years, Glen and Clara enjoyed having their friends out for parties and socializing. She loved to play cards and in later years, she and her son, Mick, would play cards with Dorothy Gover and Nellie Barnes. They all enjoyed the weekly get-togethers and much laughter ensued. Clara was an avid reader and kept a log of all the books she had read. There are well over four thousand books listed there.
In the fall of 2011, Clara learned that her youngest son, David, was going to retire back to Osceola and would live in her home after she had moved in with her oldest son, Mick. This was a great comfort to her and she spent the last few months of her life having both of her sons close to her. This made her very happy. Clara was a loving, kind, beautiful person who will be missed by everyone.
Clara is preceded in death by her husband, Glen Gover, her son Glenn Michael Gover, a daughter-in-law Jill ‘Miller’ Gover, her parents Henry and Nellie Scott and two brothers, Joe Scott and Jack Scott.
She leaves behind her son David Gover of Osceola, Missouri and granddaughters Stephanie Starling and husband Robert of Colorado Springs, CO, Kimberly Montalbano and husband Joe of Houston, Texas, Lauren Gover of Houston, Texas, Melissa Bernard and husband Michael of Mt Pleasant, SC, and her sister Geraldine Watson of Auburn, California along with many great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
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