4.10 Larry’s Later Life

Gordon Lawrence “Larry” Clemens
1st of 5 children of Carl John Clemens and Noreen Ellen “Babe” Chatfield
Born: Jan 14, 1934, Chico, California
Married: Jun 16, 1956, Marian Louise McLellan, Upland, California
Two children

Gordon (Larry) and Marian, by Marian Clemens ~ In 1952 Gordon Lawrence Clemens was a music major at San Jose Sate College where I was studying to be an elementary teacher. On one of my first dates with him, I sat by myself in the San Jose Civic Auditorium listening to the strains of the San Jose Symphony being conducted by Sandor Salgo. On stage was Larry playing, his large brass tuba sounding out the low harmony notes. When they played “Der Meistersinger” by Wagner, Larry had the tuba solo, and I was impressed. It was a clear, pure tone with rapid perfect fingering. He was a music major for three years and then changed his major, graduating with a degree in philosophy. He continued his music throughout college and graduate school. Larry put himself through college and he lived in the placement office looking for jobs, often having as many as three part-time jobs at once.

When we met, Gordon was still called Larry. After graduation from San Jose he received a graduate assistant position at Ohio University while he completed his Masters Degree to become a school counselor. It was when he moved to Ohio University that he made the decision to use his first name, Gordon. During this time, I was teaching second grade in Ventura. At the end of that year when we married, I married “Larry.” But when I moved to Ohio after the wedding, I made a speedy change to calling him “Gordon.”

We’ve had an unusual life, making happy changes along the way. In Long Beach, Gordon taught science and math for two years before becoming a counselor. I was teaching third grade. We bought our first home and had our first child. After six years Gordon accepted a counseling position in Pacific Grove which resulted in a new job, new town (Carmel), new home, and a new baby, our second daughter. Two years later we bought a campground and cabin business in Big Sur (Riverside Campground) which was our focus of energy and excitement for twelve years, with Gordon fitting it into his school counseling schedule. (You’ve already read about his childhood years, and what a busy teen he was.) Some of our fondest memories are of those years by the Big Sur River in the redwoods, even though we experienced a Big Sur fire (1972) and two major floods. Our many family reunions there are still treasured and remembered. When we were ready to sell it, we bought two small motels in Carmel, now loving the tourism industry, and Gordon resigned from his school career. To keep busy we bought 20 properties to remodel and sell through the years. One home we remodeled was overlooking the bay and Carmel Beach. We moved to it for ten years and rented out our real home until we moved back to our lovely old 1926 stone house where we raised our children and where we are enjoying our twilight years. From 1996 to 2000 we spent five years working and living in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks in the Sierras where our company and son-in-law managed the concessions in the National Park.

Marian McLellan 1956

Gordon Clemens 1964

McLellan and Clemens family reunion, Big Sur 2016

We became active in the AFS International Student exchange program and have taken leading roles in it. In 1958 Gordon was once again in the nearby college placement office looking for a summer job, when he saw a notice for a couple to chaperone a bus load of AFS students completing their year in the U.S. with a bus trip across country, staying in homes and communities before arriving in Washington D.C. and being greeted by President Eisenhower. That changed our lives as we soon became involved selecting students to go abroad, counseling international students in our home for a week or more when needed, planning orientations, interviewing host families, and all that goes with the program. In 1987 Gordon was honored with the Stephen Galatti Award for the outstanding AFS volunteer in the world, an international honor. The award was a three-week trip to Thailand where we were hosted by Thailand AFS, visiting schools, staying in homes, being honored, and seeing the country from north to south. Another year Gordon was selected as chairman of a ten-member delegation of AFS representatives to China, hosted by educators in China. I enjoyed being able to communicate and even gave a short speech in Chinese at our banquets. I studied Chinese for a year to enrich our experience. The following year we hosted ten Chinese educators in California. During the years we hosted four students in our home for the year, coming from Germany, Australia, Russia, and Turkey. Our own daughters went on the program as well, one to South Africa and the other to Austria. We have daughters and grandchildren around the world.

Gordon in middle, AFS Outstanding Volunteer ceremony, Marian at right

During the Bosnia War in the 1990s a local group formed to bring Bosnia high school students to the Monterey Peninsula as they no longer had schools. Because of our experience with AFS student exchange, they invited Gordon to guide in family selection, counseling, grant writing, and organizing the program. Seven students came and remained through those war years. At the conclusion of the war, in 1996 Gordon was invited to join a few other volunteers from throughout our country who had provided for Bosnian youth, on a trip to Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, mostly in Sarajevo. It was sponsored by NGO, Non-Governmental Organization with the United Nations. They flew into the war-torn countries on a military plane, staying with families as hotels were bombed out.

Gordon started doing genealogy when he was in his forties, before computers. We traveled all over to genealogy libraries, Oakland, Salt Lake City, and Denver, to Germany, Luxembourg, England, and Scotland, combing through records, searching graveyards for headstones, collecting stories and photos. He had boxes of files, newspaper clippings and documents. Thank goodness the computer soon came along. It became even more fun when his sister Catherine also became interested in genealogy as we took trips together from Minnesota and Colorado, to Montana and Utah, from Chico and Colusa to Sonora and Los Angeles. His sisters Betty (Liz) and Carleen joined us for some. His most fun accomplishment for me was when he framed a picture that starts in the lower row with portraits of us and our parents. Directly above them, our grandparents, and above them almost all of our great grandparents. The top row photos are our great-greats. Those faces have become so familiar and those people are all a part of who we are.

Gordon and Liz w/genealogy papers

After Gordon retired, he joined local music groups, the Monterey Community Band that played at local civic events, the concert band at Monterey Peninsula College, and then he was invited to play in the Del Monte Brass Band from the Navy Post Graduate School when they needed a tuba player. The Navy band came and played in our backyard reception at our 50^th wedding anniversary celebration. The day started off with a reunion at the Carmel Beach with three generations of our family. (This would be last time Gordon and his remaining three siblings would be together.)

Marian & Gordon, 50th Wedding Anniversary, 2006, Carmel

Carleen, Claudia, Gordon and Catherine, 2006, Carmel

Not long after that Gordon’s eyesight suddenly changed with age-related macular degeneration and within a week, he couldn’t see well enough to read the musical score. His medical treatment has been amazing and his eyesight has been stabilized, so he lives normally, reading slowly, driving, and enjoying life, but not enough for reading music. I think he is very glad that playing the tuba came back into his life in retirement. It brought him the joy that many of us experience when we hear music. But even more importantly, it gave him what you feel inside when you can make music.

I remember what it felt like when I finally had time to take art lessons and began oil painting. I enjoyed doing our beautiful local scenes and then ventured into some folk art. Next, I began writing memoir, and our children have been appreciative of that. My most satisfying piece was a series of stories about our twelve years we had our campground in Big Sur. In retirement I’m also active in my church and community projects, many to benefit homeless needs in the area.

Carmel home on Dec 25, 1967; oil on canvas, folk art style, painted 1988 by Marian Clemens

Our two daughters have had successful careers and given us five amazing grandchildren, so being grandparents is one of our current joys. Traveling has always been important, and last time I counted we had explored 40 countries. Most of the trips when we were younger were chaperoning AFS student groups or traveling on our own, climbing every tower, using every mode of transportation, and enjoying new cultures. As we’ve grown older, we’ve had some choice guided tours and riverboat trips. Now we have to say that in our mid 80s, just being at home and taking our local hikes in the woods and by the ocean are our favorite things.

We appreciate Catherine for bringing to life her story of growing up. Parts of it were really hard for us as family to read as we became aware of her sadness and difficult childhood which she told with both honesty and humor. It was quite different from Larry’s young years, as he was fourteen years older than Cathy and ready to leave home for college when she was only three. We thank you, Catherine, for being the special sister that you are to us. Congratulations on completing your book. We love you.

younger Marian and Catherine

Story contributed by Marian (McLellan) Clemens, November 2018

*****

In gratitude for their support and assistance in these final ten stories:
Editor: Deb Carlen, Five Ideas
Photoshop magician and longtime friend: Gail E. Crosslin, Texas
Contributing letters and notes: Lorna Harrington
Contributing stories, letters, and pictures: Gordon and Marian Clemens
Typists of letters: Marian Clemens and Hanan
Website Design: Dianna Jacobsen

To my website/blog and Facebook family and friends: thanks for your encouragement and comments. It takes a reader to fulfill the contract of a writer, and I’m beholden to you for sitting at the opposite side of the page to engage with me in this process. You could have gone through any given door; thank you for coming through this one. Catherine

© 2018. Catherine Sevenau.
All rights reserved.

Gordon, Catherine, Marian at my first book signing, Nov 13, 2014, Sonoma