1935
Clifford
2013
Clifford Elmont
December 2, 1935 — August 18, 2013
Clifford Franklin Elmont, beloved brother and uncle, age 77, passed away August 18, 2013, at home of leukemia. Clifford was born on a snowy December day in 1935 in his mother’s bed in scenic Basalt, Colorado, near Aspen. He was the fifth of six boys to be born to Blanche Dorothy Jakeman and Paul William Elmont. He was delivered by a neighbor lady midwife. Hitler was already causing trouble in Europe, so soon after, Cliff’s four older brothers joined the Army and the Air Force and went to war. Three in Europe and the Pacific Islands and one later in Korea. Cliff was exempt from military service because there was no one left at home to take care of his mother who was widowed when Cliff was five. Cliff soon went to work in a cinder block factory and the owner gave him no ear plugs. Very soon he found himself considerably deaf.
This has plagued him most of his adult life. Though the service men sent their mother nice little hankies and trinkets and jewelry, it was Cliff who really gave her the nice things of life. New cars. New kitchen, new bathroom, new laundry facilities, double oven, etc. Eventually he became the city manager of little Basalt over the water, the sewer, the parks and the snow plowing in Winter. The city honored him by naming a new park "Cliff's Park." He was in the local newspapers every time we picked one up for some type of service or other. He was on the fire department and rescued at least two children from burning trailer homes. He was captain of the fire department for ten years. For a time he decided to move to the even smaller hamlet of Meredith which was nineteen miles from Basalt.
He would leave Meredith in a blinding snowstorm only to find Basalt with little or no snow at all. This was at 3 a.m. during any storm. He soon nicknamed Basalt the "banana belt." He received several awards from the town of Basalt and became a hero to all on the city staff. He would do a special plow job for elderly people and shut-ins. One time he hand-fed a dying huge bull elk who had ground his teeth down to nothing. Cliff fed him lettuce and then had the local wildlife people put the thing out of its misery. Soon his old friends either died in Meredith or moved. (Population of about 12.) Cliff got lonely and sold out and moved to Salt Lake City to live with his brother, Earl (and Claire.) He made many friends and his grand nephews and nieces adored him. He spoiled them with a lot of "chicken feed" (coins) and other gifts. He was faithful in his church duties as a convert and was a 100% home teacher. They always asked Cliff to give the prayers after any visit. He also was known for his beautiful heart-felt testimonies in church. We always felt he would outlive us but Heavenly Father had other plans. "God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform." The nurses at the hospitals called him an angel and sweetie and said he was the easiest patient they ever worked with.
Survived by brother, Earl (Claire), 9 nieces and nephews, 39 grandnieces and grandnephews, 1 great grandniece and 1 great grandnephew. Preceded in death by parents, 4 brothers: William, Fred, Raymond and Walter, nephew Jeremy and grandniece Jessica.
Funeral services will be held Friday, August 23, 2013, 10:00 a.m. at the Union Park 5th Ward, 7699 S. Chad Street, Midvale, UT. Visitations will be held Thursday, August 22, 2013 from 7-8:30 p.m. and the day of the service from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. Interment Saturday, August 24, 2013, 10:00 a.m. at Fairview Cemetery in Basalt, Colorado.
This has plagued him most of his adult life. Though the service men sent their mother nice little hankies and trinkets and jewelry, it was Cliff who really gave her the nice things of life. New cars. New kitchen, new bathroom, new laundry facilities, double oven, etc. Eventually he became the city manager of little Basalt over the water, the sewer, the parks and the snow plowing in Winter. The city honored him by naming a new park "Cliff's Park." He was in the local newspapers every time we picked one up for some type of service or other. He was on the fire department and rescued at least two children from burning trailer homes. He was captain of the fire department for ten years. For a time he decided to move to the even smaller hamlet of Meredith which was nineteen miles from Basalt.
He would leave Meredith in a blinding snowstorm only to find Basalt with little or no snow at all. This was at 3 a.m. during any storm. He soon nicknamed Basalt the "banana belt." He received several awards from the town of Basalt and became a hero to all on the city staff. He would do a special plow job for elderly people and shut-ins. One time he hand-fed a dying huge bull elk who had ground his teeth down to nothing. Cliff fed him lettuce and then had the local wildlife people put the thing out of its misery. Soon his old friends either died in Meredith or moved. (Population of about 12.) Cliff got lonely and sold out and moved to Salt Lake City to live with his brother, Earl (and Claire.) He made many friends and his grand nephews and nieces adored him. He spoiled them with a lot of "chicken feed" (coins) and other gifts. He was faithful in his church duties as a convert and was a 100% home teacher. They always asked Cliff to give the prayers after any visit. He also was known for his beautiful heart-felt testimonies in church. We always felt he would outlive us but Heavenly Father had other plans. "God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform." The nurses at the hospitals called him an angel and sweetie and said he was the easiest patient they ever worked with.
Survived by brother, Earl (Claire), 9 nieces and nephews, 39 grandnieces and grandnephews, 1 great grandniece and 1 great grandnephew. Preceded in death by parents, 4 brothers: William, Fred, Raymond and Walter, nephew Jeremy and grandniece Jessica.
Funeral services will be held Friday, August 23, 2013, 10:00 a.m. at the Union Park 5th Ward, 7699 S. Chad Street, Midvale, UT. Visitations will be held Thursday, August 22, 2013 from 7-8:30 p.m. and the day of the service from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. Interment Saturday, August 24, 2013, 10:00 a.m. at Fairview Cemetery in Basalt, Colorado.
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