Elnathan Davis

Early on the morning of November 19, 2023, Elnathan C (Clarence) Davis, 100, of Snowflake and Taylor Arizona, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and great-great grandfather passed peaceably through this earthly veil to join a host of family members and friends already on the other side of the veil, including his parents, 10 siblings, 4 of his children, 6 of his grandchildren and countless friends he had made over the last 100 years. Clarence was born in Hammon, Oklahoma on September 13, 1923. He was the youngest of 11 children.

When he was 10, he and his mother moved to Holbrook Arizona where he attended school, graduating from Holbrook High School in 1942. Shortly after his graduation, he joined the Navy and for the next 3 ½ years, Clarence proudly served his country as a Navy aircraft machinist. During his time in the Navy, he attended training in Chicago and Miami and was then deployed to the Solomon Islands where he would repair the fighter planes of some of the most well-known pilots of World War II such as Major Pappy Boyington and the Black Sheep Squadron. He was honorably released from service in September of 1945.

Just prior to his deployment to the Solomon Islands in 1943, while on leave, Clarence was able to return home and marry his high school sweetheart, Ina Hancock. They were married on November 24th of 1943. Upon returning home from the war, he and Ina settled in Bakersfield California where they would live for the next 15 years. During that time, Clarence had his 2 favorite jobs. Being a dad to his boys and driving a bread truck for the Golden Crust Bread Company in Bakersfield.

In 1961, the family decided to move back to the Taylor/Snowflake area in Arizona. There, Clarence worked in a variety of jobs including truck driver, mechanic, dispatch supervisor for Southwest Forest Industries and home builder. In 1975, tragedy struck the Davis family when his wife of 31 years passed away at the age of 51. Clarence described this as one of the most difficult times for he and his family.

In 1979, Clarence met and married Irene Owens Smith of Snowflake Arizona. He would inherit 8 more kids and a host of grandkids, which suited him just right. To Clarence there were no actual kids and step kids, there were just kids! And always the gentleman husband and loving grandfather, he had a way of making each grandchild feel like he or she was the most important one.

Over the next 30 years he and Irene would work together, travel together, serve an 18-month mission for the LDS church together, become managing partners in a chain of small retail stores together, serve as LDS temple workers together for more than 14 years, and most enjoyably, watch their family grow together. Irene passed away in October of 2009.

Clarence, by his example, has taught his kids and his posterity the importance of family, church, hard work, and service to others. His life included countless acts of service to many. From small things like fixing a bicycle or vehicle, to fixing things in the home of someone that was not able, taking food to a family that was out of work, to spending Christmas Eve secretly delivering toys and bicycles from his stores to kids that would not otherwise have gifts for Christmas, to being part of a group that builds a home for a widow that would otherwise have no place to live. Clarences' list of acts of kindness would fill volumes.

But Clarence would tell you that his greatest legacy is his 13 kids which include James (Jim) Davis, John Wilford Mariner, Bruce Davis, Rene Austin, Byron (Tony) Mariner, Michael (Mike) Davis, Barbara Sollars, Starr Nicholas, Ernest (Ernie) Mariner, Michael (Mike) Mariner, Brent Davis, David Davis and Terrence (Terry) Smith, 78 grandkids, over 200 great-grandkids and more than a dozen great-great-grandkids and counting.

Dad, we all love you and will miss you dearly.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 11:00 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Love Lake Chapel, 700 E. Love Lake Rd. in Taylor, Arizona, with a viewing one-hour prior.

Burial will follow in the Reed Hatch Memorial Cemetery.