Clinton Warren Fors, age 88, died Saturday 28 April 2018 at the North Dakota Veterans Home in Lisbon. Clinton was born 26 April 1930 in Drake, McHenry County, North Dakota. He was the third of five children born to Edmund “Bill” Wilhelm Fors and Cora Amanda Olson, of Swedish and Norwegian ancestry.
He attended elementary and high school in Drake, graduating in 1947. He then studied at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota for one year before entering the United States Navy in 1948. He trained at the Naval Station Great Lakes and then worked as a radio operator, serving in the Mediterranean and later stationed in Virginia before leaving the Navy in 1952.
He served on board the destroyer U.S.S. Vesole. After working a summer with his uncle in construction, he landed a job with Northwestern Bell Telephone in March 1953 due to his experience with communications in the Navy. Over the years, he served in several roles in telephony, for Northwestern Bell in Rugby, Williston, and Tioga until 1960.
That is when he met and married Kathryn Mae Armstrong in 1955. Clinton continued with the Souris River Telephone Company in Minot until 1972 and then moved to Minnesota where he worked for companies in St. Paul and Two Harbors before returning to Drake where he provided consulting services throughout the Midwest and for a short time in Guam. Passionate about the State of North Dakota, Clinton lived the last three and one-half years at the Veteran’s Home in Lisbon where he reconnected with friends from Drake and made new ones from other parts of the State.
He enjoyed computers, genealogy, golf, reading, working puzzles, and flying when he had his own plane. He also maintained involvement in the regular reunions of those who served on the U.S.S. Vesole. Clinton is survived by his three children, Brian (Deborah Flath) Fors, Mankato, Minnesota; Lisa ( Ric) Yoder, Granville, North Dakota, and Chad Fors, Minot; five grandchildren Thadius (Katie) Fliss, Jeremy Fliss (Leah Gannon), Bridget (James) Humble, AnnaKjersten Fors (Zack) Hunsinger, and Zachery (Brittany) Yoder; and six great-grandchildren, Tobias Fliss, Jackson Johnson Fliss, James Humble, Jordon Humble, Jared Humble, Hazel Humble, and Eaton Yoder.
He is also survived by his sister, Vivian (Steven) Tasselmyer, Petaluma, California; two brothers Kenneth Fors, Carmichael, California, and Elton (Pat) Fors, Aberdeen, South Dakota; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and their families. He is preceded in death by his father Bill Fors in 1981; his mother Cora Fors in 1977; his brother Milo in 1939; and his sister-in-law Donna Fimreite Fors, 2005. A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, 19 May 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Drake.
Internment will take place immediately following the service at Drake Cemetery. Memorial donations may be sent to the North Dakota Veterans’ Home, 1600 Veterans Drive, Lisbon, ND 58054.
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