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Clifford Thon
In Memory of
Clifford Allen
Thon
1930 - 2018
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Belinda Martindale
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Obituary for Clifford Allen Thon

Clifford Allen Thon, 87, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, February 17, 2018, at Prairie Senior Living Complex in Colby, Kansas. He was born on October 5, 1930 to Alvin and Cornelia (Bruner) Thon. He was the oldest of their three children.
Clifford graduated from Healy High School in 1948 and went on to enlist in the US Navy at Kansas City, Missouri on January 18, 1951. He was stationed at the San Ysrido Naval Base in San Diego, California. He served aboard the USS Badoeng Strait. He served in the Navy from 1951 to 1954 during the Korean Conflict and was honorably discharged in December 1954. It was in the Korean Conflict that he earned a Combat Acton Ribbon with 3 Battle Stars attached for each year he was in combat, a Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, a Navy Good Conduct Medal, a China Service Medal, a National Defense Medal, and a Korean Service Medal 3B. Foreign medals earned were a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, a United Nations Service Medal, and a Republic of Korea War Service Medal. He was always very proud of his service in the Navy.
Clifford married Delories Paul on April 4, 1951. They lived in California while he was in the Navy, and due to his father’s failing health they returned home to the family farm in Scott County where he continued to work the farm land and raise cattle.
Clifford and Delories were blessed with six children. Gregory (Katherine) Thon of Nashville, TN; Linda (Byron) Sowers, of Colby, KS; Stephen (Debbie) Thon of Overland Park, KS; Stephanie Wessel of Peyton, CO; Michelle Thon of Buckeye, AZ; and Valerie Latham of Dallas, OR.
The family lived on the family farm until the farm house burned in 1981. At that time the family moved to Scott City. Clifford and Delories divorced in 1984 and Clifford continued to farm and raise cattle until his mother sold the family farm to his daughter, Linda and husband, Byron Sowers in 1997. After leaving the farm he worked for Anthony Ive putting tin roofs on buildings, cement work, and building horse sheds. He ended up working at Royal Beef Feeders in Scott County where he worked for ten years until he retired in 2012. He always loved working with cattle and spending time with family; participating in holidays, weddings, and graduations when he could.
Clifford married Phyllis Cheney/Bryant on May 2, 1991. They met at a time when they both needed a friend, love and companionship. They lived in Dighton until moving to the Park Lane Independent Living Center in Scott City in 2012. In 2014 they moved to the Prairie Senior Living Center where they have lived since that time. They celebrated 26 years of marriage together this past May. He was preceded in death by his mother and father and first wife, Delories. He leaves behind his wife Phyllis, six children, 24 grandchildren, 37 great grandchildren, his sister Delores (Thon) Roemer of Scott City, and brother Larry (Ann) Thon of Kansas City, MO, and nieces and nephews.
Memorial Service will be at 10:30 AM Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Dighton with Rev Berniece Ludlum officiating. Burial will be in Dighton Memorial Cemetery with military honors by American Legion Post # 190 of Dighton and United States Navy Honor Guard. Memorials are suggested to the Prairie Senior Living Complex in care of Boomhower Funeral Home. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com

Boomhower Funeral Home P.O. Box 891 Dighton, Ks 67839 620-397-5792
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