Mostly Clear, 66° F
(July 17, 2003)
Funeral services will be Wednesday, July 23 at 1 p.m. at the Lovell LDS Church for Clifford Williams Snell, a native of Byron, who died Thursday, July 17 in Corvallis, Ore. He was 74.
He was born Sept. 16, 1928, in Byron, son of LeRoy and Bessie Snell. He was raised in Byron and graduated from Byron High School where he was active in all sports.
He joined the U.S. Navy in 1948 and served in the Korean War until 1952. After completing military service, he attended Northwest Community College in Powell and the University of Wyoming.
He went to work for Oil Well Supply, living in Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, New Mexico, California and Oregon. He worked many years on the oil rigs until he had a serious accident in California. He returned to Byron during his recovery from this accident.
Then he worked for Georgia Pacific for 23 years in Lovell, retiring in 1990. After retiring, he moved to Corvallis, Ore., and worked for Oak Vale Apartments for eight years.
Mr. Snell was previously married in June, 1958, in Moab, Utah. He had two daughters, Cathy and Michelle, and one son, Tommy. Cliff married Gayla Hodson Kelsey in May 1971 in Lovell. This marriage was later solemnized in the Portland, Ore. Temple. He has a stepdaughter, Lola Kelsey Milburn, and a stepson, Gordon Kelsey. He was considered "Dad" by both for 32 years.
He was a member of the VFW for many years. He enjoyed bowling, hunting, fishing, golfing, working on his computer and woodworking. He loved his family greatly and spent a lot of time with each family member in individual ways. He will be remembered as a wonderful husband, father, brother, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Survivors include his wife, Gayla Snell; stepdaughter Lola Kelsey Milburn, Cathedral City, Calif.; stepson Gordon Kelsey, Corvallis; five grandchildren: Jason Milburn, Lander, Tobey Kay Milburn Garrett, Ione, Ore; Whitney, Colton and Paige Kelsey, Corvallis; three great-granddaughters, Lauren, Kaitlin and Alexis Garrett, Ione, Ore.; two great-grandsons, Justin and Jeffrey Milburn, Corvallis; four brothers and one sister, Russ Snell, Powell, Ray Snell, Lovell, Darwin and Roy Snell and Maxine Brinkerhoff, all of Utah.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Ivan Snell and Hillman Snell; his sisters, Cleo and LaReu; and his grandson, Tyler Jae Kelsey.
A viewing will be held tonight (Tuesday) from 6 to 8 p.m. at Haskell Funeral Home in Lovell. Interment will be in the Byron Cemetery.
