Clio V. Clary

Clio Vick Clary, passed away on January 26, 2009 at the age of 104 years at Little Rock, AR. She was born on October 24, 1904 in Prescott, AR, the fifth of six children to Anderson & Lydia Vick. Upon graduation from Prescott High School, Clio moved to Fordyce, AR where she worked at the A.B. Banks Insurance Company. In 1924 she met and married James Dan Clary, a teacher, and soon to be Superintendent of the Fordyce Public Schools. They had two children, James Jr. & Nancy Kate. The family moved to Freer, Texas in 1937 following her husband's appointment as Superintendent of Freer public schools where, in addition to raising a family she served as her husband's secretary. In 1945 the family moved to Stuttgart, AR where her husband assumed the final Superintendency of his career before retiring in 1966. Following her husband's death in 1980, Clio continued to live in Stuttgart until 2002 when she and her younger sister, Grace Vick Jordan of Fordyce, moved to the Good Shepherd Retirement Center in Little Rock, where they were affectionately known as "The Sisters". Clio participated in many activities of the First United Methodist Churches in Fordyce, Freer, & Grand Avenue Methodist in Stuttgart. She was an honorary member of Delta Kappa Gamma teachers professional sorority. In 2004 she was honored by her family with a 100th birthday party where 65 relatives from 7 states attended. In addition to her husband, she is preceded in death by her son James "Jim" Clary and grandson Steve Clary. She is survived by her daughter and son in-law Nancy and Keith Essex of North Little Rock, her daughter in-law Barbara Klinger Clary of Richardson, Texas, six grandchildren, three step grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and two step great grandchildren. A graveside ceremony at the Clary family burial site at Oakland Cemetery will be held Friday January 30, 2009 at 2:00 pm by Benton Funeral Home of Fordyce. Memorials may be made to the Clary Academy, 107 East Superior, Stuttgart, Arkansas 72160. To sign the online register visit www.bentonfuneralhome.com