Clarence Herbert Mittlestaedt

SAVANNAH, GA - Clarence Mittelstaedt, 86, passed away Thursday, July 8, 2010. Clarence was son of the late August and Helene Mittelstaedt and was preceded in death by his beloved wife Hildegarde "Hilde" Wege Mittelstaedt. A native of Manawa, Wisconsin, Clarence was born and worked on the family farm until joining the United States Army in January of 1945. Following training at Fort Sheridan, Illinois and Fort Fannin, Texas, Clarence served his country in Okinawa and Korea and was honorably discharged from military service as a staff sergeant in December of 1946. Clarence returned to his family farm with Hilde and daughter Faye. In 1956, Clarence accepted employment as a Soil Conservation Technician with the United States Department of Agriculture in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. Clarence tirelessly served the Wisconsin agricultural community for more than 40 years and was a true "conservationist" before the term was coined. Clarence and his wife were devout Lutherans, and when not working, they loved being together especially while fishing, gardening, and driving through the Wisconsin countryside on Sunday afternoons. Survivors include daughter and husband, Faye and David Clark, Savannah, GA; grandchildren, Mathew and Denise McCoy, Savannah, GA, Ryan and Amy McCoy, Minneapolis, MN; great grandchildren, Jackson and Cash McCoy; sister, Eleanor Olson, Manawa, WI; brother and wife, Erv and Eileen Mittelstaedt, Manawa, WI. Funeral services and interment will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, July 17th at the gravesite, Little Wolf Cemetery, Manawa, with a lunch to follow at the Cedar Springs Golf Course. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Clarence's name and may be sent to: 2 Abbott Lane, Savannah, GA, 31411; donations will be used for conservation charities.