Ava Middleton-Clarke Obituary

Ava Louise Middleton-Clarke was born February 28th, 1933, in Mountain Grove, MO to Epp and Beddie Long-Middleton. Louise was the second born of 7 children. Preceded in death by her daughter Terry Lee, her parents, her husband Leonard Clarke, her brothers Eddie, Lee, Dee, and Jackie. She was survived by her sisters Lena Nisley, and Rosemary Tittle, her daughters Irene Griffin and her husband Curtis Griffin, Bonnie Jean Metz and Patricia Elaine Clarke, 7 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Louise met Leonard, her Nebraska farm boy, while on a double date at the Redmond fairgrounds. Leonard's date and Louise's date wouldn't go up in the Loop-o-plane. So Leonard and Louise went together. They were married November 8th, 1950, at the Assembly of God church in Madras, OR. One of their most fun stories of dating in Central Oregon, was parking on the "High Bridge" Ogden Wayside and dancing together until they saw car lights coming, and that could be quite some time in those days. They were married 66 years before Leonard passed away in March of 2017.
Louise (her nick names Tooter, granny, grams, Nanna Too-Too later from her great grandchildren). She was every bit of a Tom boy from the get-go. She would rather be outside and day of the week, hunting, fishing, outside chores of any kind, she wasn't afraid to attempt to tackle any job, ripping and tearing down old buildings and building them back up, roofing, siding, sheet rocking, painting, upholstering, to tending to her garden, flowers, hiking, looking for pretty rocks, and camping with dad, and the whole family. Then she could put on a pretty dress and look like she just walked out of a magazine.
The three girls say they were blessed beyond measure. She taught them how to live and love God, work hard and play hard. She was a woman of many talents!
She was happiest when her grandchild and great grandchildren would come to visit her. The early years she would take them camping, fishing, hiking, riding bikes, and playing games. She also liked to scare the day lights out of them at any given chance. If we were playing games, she played to win and loved taunting us saying...."I'm going to win...ha-ha I'm going to win"!
Louise liked to collect antiques from family members, she could remember where each piece came from and what she did to it. She also put together display cases for important mementos of our family form the time of the Civil War.
Louise accepted Jesus at an early age, at a little church in the hollor near Mt. Grove, MO. She treasured her Lord and Savior and passed that on to her girls and grandchildren and family members and friends. Everyone that came to Dad and Mom's house knew they served the Lord, first and foremost. Leonard and Louise purchased the house in Terrebonne in 1964 from Mom's parents. They lived the rest of their lives out there, 61 years. As soon as Louise's house was clean, she was out the door hiking Smith Rock and enjoying the beauty of it (before all of the visitors), she would often take pencil and paper and find a good place to sit and write what God had put on her heart in the form of a poem.
She also loved looking for any type of treasure, from arrow heads to old bottles, whatever she stumbled on for the day. She definitely loved the adventure any given day.
Louise and Leonard traveled extensively throughout the lower 48 states, as well as Alaska and Canada. Their biggest adventure was flying to Bermuda to visit with their daughter Bonnie Jean, where she was stationed in the Navy.
Louise left a legacy, how to live life to the fullest each day. Near the end she hated lying in bed and would shake the rails and say get me out of this bed. Well Louise....you made it.... you're in heaven you wrote about so much.... reunited with all the family before you. You finally got to meet your baby that you and Leonard lost. You once said, "I don't think it's fair dad got to see her Terry first".
We will miss you more than you will ever know.
Ending you adventures this side of heaven and opening a great new adventure in heaven, here is the simple plan of salvation.
She said, Salvation: "It will cost you nothing.... but it cost Jesus everything." Louise and Leonard's life goal was praying for their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren would all come to know Jesus as they did; and to be reunited in heaven. Bow your head and close your eyes in prayer and ask Jesus into your heart, asking Jesus to forgive your sins, he will wash every sin away, you will be clean as the snow. Serve Him the rest of your life. I look forward to seeing you all in heaven.
For God so loved the world that, He gave his only begotten Son, that no one should perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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