Lloyd Starkweather

Lloyd Arnold Starkweather, age 97, died Wednesday, February 11, at the Presbyterian Manor. Lloyd was born October 6, 1917, in Clay Center. His parents were Ernest and Grace (Hall) Starkweather. Lloyd attended Clay Center grade schools and graduated from CCCHS in 1935. He attended Kansas State University and graduated in 1941 with a BS degree in Business Administration, major in accounting. Lloyd was employed by United Life Insurance Company of Salina as an investment accountant. When registering for the draft in 1941 Lloyd volunteered for service in the Army Air Corps and was placed on reserve. Pearl Harbor occurred December 6, 1941 and Lloyd was ordered to report for active duty within 10 days. He enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program and completed Navigation training in October, 1942. Lloyd was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Officer Reserve Corp. Lloyd was assigned to combat duty and flew as a navigator in the B26 Martin Marauder in the 320th Bomb Group in North Africa. When the 15th Air Force was formed to fly missions over Europe, he flew the Boeing B17 Flying Fortress in the 97th Bomb Group. Lloyd completed fifty bombing missions and returned home March, 1944. He married Virginia Marshall May 18, 1944. They resided at Army Posts in Louisiana, Texas, and Nebraska, after which they returned to Clay Center, where they have made their home ever since. They had four children: Mary Lou, JoAnne, John Marshall and Lee Arnold. Lloyd was president and general manager of Marshalls, Inc. and Marshall Grain Company. He was also a partner of Marshall Farms in Western Kansas. He was a member of the United Methodist Church, and served as a trustee on the board of United Methodist Youthville. He also served on the advisory board of the Clay Center Presbyterian Manor and the Clay County Hospital Foundation. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3387 and American Legion Post 101, which he served as commander. He was a member and past president of Lion’s Club and a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He was a charter member of the Elks Lodge and was appointed to the Clay Center Housing Authority. Lloyd served as a Director of the Northwestern Federal Savings and Loan Association, the Clay Center Industrial Development Corporation, Key Milling Co., Winona Feed and Grain Co., and Wardcraft Homes. Lloyd bought and sold classic cars and was a member of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club headquartered in Auburn, Indiana. Lloyd is preceded in death by his parents, a daughter, Mary Lou Slaughter, and step-granddaughter, Kristen Kennedy. He is survived by his wife, Virginia, daughter JoAnne Chapman of Clay Center, sons John (Midori) of Woodland Hills and Lee (Teri) of West Hills, California, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Also he is survived by his son-in-law Douglas Slaughter and wife Karolyn, two step-grandsons, and six step-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by Lorenzo Cugniet Elizondo of Santiago, Chile, American Field Service student, who lived with the family 1969-70. Respect calls are Friday, February 13 at Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home from 3 to 8 p.m., with family present 4 to 6 p.m. Funeral services will be Saturday, February 14, at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Clay Center Burial at Greenwood Cemetery, with military honors. Memorials may be made to the United Methodist Church in Clay Center or to the Clay County Hospital Foundation, in care of the funeral home.