Clifford Dunn

CLIFFORD K. DUNN Jr. passed March 13, 2021 to Glory at his home in Cleveland, Texas during the late afternoon time of day that’s called the “Evening Golden Hour”. Dad was known as “Uncle Clifford” to many family members but especially to his brother Tommy’s wife, Lucy. The grandkids and others called him Pa-Pa, while others from young age to adult called him “Mr. Cliff”. “Buddy” became the ‘code’ name between Dad and his faithful friend Wes. Truly he held many cherished names and answered to them all.

Dad was born March 22, 1932 in the little town of Lake Village, Arkansas to Clifford K. Dunn Sr. and Hazel Whitney Dunn. At the time, Dad was the 5th child and 2nd son. The first boy, Thomas, was named after his grandfather and so when Dad was born, he was given his own father’s name, Clifford – along with the middle name that he typically just wrote as a middle initial “K”. That middle name has been a mystery as to it’s origination and it’s spelling all of our lives. The story goes that it was the name of the doctor that delivered his Dad – by the name of Kinabrew … and spelled differently practically each time it’s written down - including Kinnabrew, Kenabrew, Kellybreau on various documents. So – Dad usually just kept to putting the initial ‘K’.

With Dad’s birth, there were then five kids in the family with the oldest at 6 years of age. In the next couple of years, another boy and girl would be added and it was in the year of the last child’s birth that their father, Clifford K. Sr, passed away from “swamp fever”. This left seven children behind, ages: newborn, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10 and the oldest at 12 yrs of age. Their mother wasn’t able to feed and take care of all of the children so the oldest and the baby were given to family members which then left our Dad, his younger brother bob and older sister Helen to be sent to the orphanage.

Orphanage life was of course hard for any child, but their Mom, as heartbreaking as it was for her, would visit the kids every Sunday. Eventually, a couple wanted to adopt both Dad and his younger brother but the orphanage wouldn’t allow both boys to be adopted together and Dad was the one that remained. Many people would have become bitter, resentful and hard – but fortunately for all of us that knew our Dad – that Dad chose the higher ground of Love and Grace.

At some point, Dad was sent to live with a couple in the area but the couple’s need was not necessarily for a son, but for a worker. Around age 11, Dad heard the woman of the house say: “I think it’s about time to take that boy back to the orphanage” and when Dad heard that, he went out the back window. So, he lived on the streets for about a year, throwing newspapers to make money for food and at night would sleep in the newspaper bins. Eventually they found him and sent him to either to the same family or another, but it was a family that Dad said the father would ‘preach’ in the mornings and cuss him out in the afternoons. So he went to live with the parents of the couple – which would have been like grandparents to him – and that’s where he found a safe place to live and where he began his own lawn-mowing business. This was the beginning of Dad’s entrepreneurship where he was able to buy a small tractor and had a couple of guys working for him – even though he was still a Teenager!

The Korean War started when Dad was 18 and at the age of 19, he enlisted in the newly formed Air Force. This gave him 3 scheduled meals a day and a bed to sleep at night. He was sent to Oklahoma for radio/electronics training and then stationed at Lowry AFB in Colorado for additional Sight System / Electronics training. Eventually he was stationed at Bergstrom AFB in Austin and it was there that he sought out a church to attend. Little did he know then that the person that he would meet and marry at a young age was a Bergstrom herself, and a cousin from whom the AFB had been named.

One of the families at the church in Austin had a son that had been in the Navy during WWII and it was the father of the family that liked to invite servicemen over for dinner after Sunday morning service. The family had a dairy farm out in the country and the wife, Hannah, was a great cook – so who could say ‘no’! And … who is to say that maybe there wasn’t an ulterior motive as the farmer had four daughters also at the farm! It was through those Sunday lunches that Dad married the oldest of the girls and began his life in Austin. While stationed at Bergstrom AFB, he did two tours to Japan as the war was ending and it was during that time that his daughter, Rebecca and son, Randy, were born.

After serving his 4-year enlistment commitment, Dad returned to his Austin home and one of the jobs he took was delivering bread for the local bakery during the ‘wee’ hours of the morning. He helped out at the church whenever needed and became an active and faithful member there. It was through the church that close friendships were developed and it was one of these friendships that Dad, and his friend Hoit, built the first house that Dad could call his own. As we grew up, it seemed that Dad could just do anything – whether it came to mechanical things or building, Dad could do it.

Around this time, Dad was about 25 years old and he got a job with Gulf Oil. While working with Gulf, he built a large chicken house where he raised 3,000+ chickens until the time they would be laying eggs – and before they started laying eggs, they were taken to the ol’ slaughterhouse for the grocery stores. About this time, another boy was added to the family and was given the name of two of Dad’s brothers – which you all know by his first name, Tommy.

With Dad’s knowledge in the oil & gas industry, another friend from church, Larry Carpenter, asked Dad to come and work with him as an executive at the LP-Gas Association. Dad accepted and with the new job also came travels across the State of Texas. As many of you know, Dad did not have a light foot on the gas peddle … and his trips to places like El Paso and Amarillo were faster than most. With the long miles that he had to drive, he installed an extra gas tank in the bank that was filled with LP-Gas and he could just flip-a-switch that he installed in the dash area to switch from regular gas to LP-Gas and on his way he went!

While in Austin, the family that Dad had married into, along with all their extended family, became the real family that he never had growing up. Grandma Hannah, as we knew her, was the epitome of a loving Christian woman and she loved Dad as a son. Dad remained an active member of the church during all his years in Austin, serving as Deacon, teaching Sunday School, leading the Young Adult Class and continually serving anyone in need. Eventually, the marriage broke down and it was also at a time that Dad was given an opportunity to buy his own propane business in the town of Cleveland. It was a gut-wrenching decision to leave the first place that was truly his first real home, but circumstances lead him to buy the business and move.

Cleveland became his 2nd home and it is where Dad met his loving and spunky wife, Peggy, and where new friendships were developed in a community that he began to love and cherish.

AUTOMATIC PROPANE was the initial business that Dad owned in the City of Cleveland and where he began to know the town and meet everyone which often included regular trips to Boyett’s Restaurant to discuss local news and ‘world’ affairs. Another hangout was the D&M, named for Dan & Marge Purswell, the original owners and Dad’s in-laws. It was at the D&M that the community table became the ‘Liars Table” where tall tales and stories were told by whomever sat there.

Dad loved people and had a heart for kids that were in tough family situations - so during their marriage, they took in over 100 kids from infancy to grade school age while their family status was being handled in the courts. Some children were at their home for a short time, while others up to 3 or more years. Many wild stories evolved over the 20+ years that Dad and Peg opened their home to these children.

During the 70’s, while Dad still owned the Propane company, he became a partner with Stan Jones in a lumber mill which they named “THICK-N-THIN’ LUMBER – naming the mill somewhat after their physical stature at the time. Both of their son’s eventually bought and ran Thick-N-Thin, with Stan’s son ultimately owning and running the mill.

It was in the early 70’s, when the energy/gas crises hit, that the Propane business was sold and Dad went to work with HNG OIL in Houston as an executive there. It was a short time there as the corporate environment was not Dad’s cup-of-tea and he took a sales job with MARTIN CHEVROLET. From there he went to work at CLEVELAND BANK & TRUST and then FIRST NAT’L BANK, which became MAIN STREET BANK. Around this time, he had become more involved in the CITY OF CLEVELAND affairs and was a member of the City Council for several terms where he put the people of Cleveland first. Dad started and ran a General Contracting business for many years where he put his building skills to work and it also provided a way for him to help people in the community. He also served as a Reserve Officer with the Police Dept. and participated in all kinds of organizations to help several Little League teams as well as buying livestock at the annual livestock show … and, as we all know, giving, giving, giving to whoever was in need.

As a child, Dad never had money to go to the “Movies” – so, when the TEXAN THEATRE was available for purchase, Dad was able to purchase it with the goal of turning it into a family theatre that would show current movies at low and affordable prices. Every film had to be rated PG or lower – nothing ‘R’ could ever be shown there. Candy, popcorn and drink prices were low and if any kids came on their own, he would stand outside and make sure of the person picking them up from the Theatre. Local churches were able to hold events there – Dad always had an open door for the church.

Several years ago, Movie Theatres across the nation were faced with their doors closing because new equipment had to be purchased for the new digital-types of films. Dad was just turning 80 and thought this was the end of the Theatre but good and faithful friends decided to put together a BBQ fund raiser. People poured out their love and raised over $50,000 towards the purchase of the new equipment, with Dad putting in the rest – and thus, THE TEXAN THEATRE was able to keep it’s doors open. One more THANK YOU to the people of Cleveland for their outpouring.

Dad loved to travel and through his latter years, the Senior Circle group of friends gave him the joy of friendship and the opportunity to see more of the world. There are so many people to Thank that we wouldn’t be able to list them all – and Dad’s life wouldn’t be complete without each and every one of you. So, Thank you from Dad’s heart and ours for all your Love and Care for our Dad.

Clifford is survived by his loving wife, Peggy Purswell Dunn and his youngest sister, Marilyn Boyer of Millington, Tennessee along with numerous nieces and nephews. Cliff was preceded in death by both of his parents, as well as brothers Tommy Dunn of Rolling Fork, Miss and Bob Griffin of Shreveport; sisters Tillie Cleveland of Hammond, LA, Helen Clark of Longview, Tx and Janie White (Jennette/Janet) of Jonesboro, Ark. Clifford’s children also survive him: daughter Rebecca, son Randy and wife Esther, son Tommy and wife Donna, daughter LaJeanne and husband Allen Hall. Dad also has one ‘unofficial’ adopted son that we call a brother – Wesley Matlock.

There are 11 grandchildren and 10 Great-Grandchildren that survive Clifford with another Great-Grandchild scheduled to arrive in June; included are
Grandchildren Jeremy Dunn and his wife Jourdan, Timothy Dunn, Carly Dunn, Jeffrey Dunn, Natalie Dunn.
Grandchild Anna Supac and her husband James, son Stafford;
Grandchild Madison Duxbury and her husband Adam, daughter Faye;
Grandchild Tess Osborn and her husband Mark, children Julianne, Eli and Madelyn;
Grandchild Bethany Senter and her husband Shannon, daughters Peyton and Makenna;
Grandchild Emilie Pope and her husband Christopher, daughters Ashtynn and Millie;
Grandchild Tyler Partain; and
Great-Grandchild Savannah Simpson, daughter of LaJeanne.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS – please see the Charity link below that supports kids in poverty worldwide. We’ve set up a Memorial Fund and contributions to this fund will be made in the name of CLIFFORD K DUNN MEMORIAL.
http://mycause.worldvision.org/campaign/Clifford-K-Dunn-Memorial

Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Friday, March 19, 2021 at Pace Stancil Funeral Home, Cleveland, Texas. Services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, March 20, 2021 at Calvary Baptist Church, Cleveland, Texas. Interment will follow at Cleveland Memorial Park, Cleveland, Texas.

Pallbearers will be sons of Randy Dunn, Jeremy Dunn, Timothy Dunn, and Jeffrey Dunn; and sons-in-law of Tommy Dunn, James Supak, Adam Duxbury, and Mark Osborn. Honorary pallbearers will be Matt Jones, Bob Steely, Wesley Matlock, Henry Patterson, and Hector Forestier.

1 Corinthians 13:4-6
“Love is patient and kind,
Love does not envy or boast
It is not arrogant or rude
Love does not insist on its own way
Love is not irritable or resentful
It does not rejoice at wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.

This scripture seems to represent our Dad and friend ~ this is the way he lived his life. He was a walking example of Christ’s love for us.

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