Jed Clark

John Jeduthan Clark, 56, of Andover, Minn., passed away on Jan. 26 after a two-year battle with bladder cancer. 

A memorial service for Jed will be held at 3 p.m. May 29 at 209 Main, Paton. Interment will be in the Junction Twp. Cemetery, Grand Junction.   

Jed was born Nov. 3, 1964, to John and Judy Clark. He spent his formative years in Iowa City, where he went on numerous (mis)adventures with his close friends Leon Davis and Brad Peterson.

After graduating from Iowa City High School in 1983, Jed continued his football career at Wartburg College before transferring to the United States Military Academy Prep School in 1984. He continued playing Division I lightweight football and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1989 with a BS in electrical engineering.

He was commissioned as an infantry lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served with the 82nd Airborne during Operation Desert Storm, where he was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor while leading troops in combat.

After returning from the Middle East, Jed worked as a manufacturing process engineer in South Carolina and Michigan. Settling in Minnesota a few years later, he began a nearly 20-year career in technology management with Ameriprise Financial. 

Family was Jed’s first passion.  Jed raised two wonderful children, Caleb and McKinsey.

If winter weekends were spent at the hockey rink or dance studio, then summers were spent on the water. Few warm weather weekends or evenings went by without time spent telling stories and listening to music while entertaining friends and family on their boat.

Another of Jed’s passions was college football, be it Army or Iowa. The colors black and gold continuously flew at the Clark household.

Jed cared deeply about young people, and he took coaching and mentoring very seriously. Many a person can recite the philosophy and rules of life he taught them.

Any description of Jed would include these words: laughter, love, loyalty and determination. Anyone who knew him smiles fondly at a memory of Jed holding court, telling stories while raising a glass. We too shall do so in his honor. 

Jed was preceded in death by his grandparents, Edna and Elvon Hatch, Phyllis and Jay Clark; two uncles, Lea Kinsey and Jim Hatch; and two aunts, Patricia Holtapp and Shirley Clark. 

Jed will be forever remembered by his son, Caleb Clark; his daughter, McKinsey (Clark) Bare, and her husband Alex; mother of his children, Kathryn (Jones) Murray; his parents, John and Judy (Hatch) Clark, formerly of the Scranton area; and sisters Jody Schreck, Janae Hauser and Janelle Maland. Further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and countless friends.

Condolences and well wishes may be sent to the family care of his parents at 3507 Crabapple Lane, Columbia, MO 65203 or everloved.com/life-of/john-jed-clark/.

Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home is assisting the family.