Clarence W Swallow
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Clarence W. Swallow, Professor Emeritus, 90, passed away on 10 October, 2019. Clarence was the second son of Clarence W. Swallow, Sr. and Esther (Shaw) Swallow. He was born on the 26th of February 1929 in Richter, Kansas, raised on a farm that straddled the Franklin-Osage County line. Clarence graduated from Quenemo High, Quenemo, Kansas in 1947. Clarence enrolled at Kansas State University where he received an undergraduate degree in Agronomy in 1951. He enlisted in the Army in 1951 and was eventually stationed in La Plata, Maryland.
Clarence returned from the military and enrolled in graduate school at KSU in the Department of Agronomy. In 1954 he received his Masters degree in Agronomy, and in the same year began his career at Kansas State University as Superintendent of the Agronomy Research Farm. From 1954 until his retirement in 1994 Clarence developed modern plot equipment for research and expanded the research mission of the Department of Agronomy with his expertise in mechanics and farming.
Clarence provided leadership in establishing Division A-7, Agricultural Research Station Management, of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA). He served as its first chair in 1979. Professor Swallow had an international reputation for research equipment design, and was invited to present and consult on research equipment design around the world. Many of his designs were adopted by equipment manufactures worldwide.
Clarence married Joyce I. Kaiser in May of 1956 in Miltonvale, Kansas, and they made their home in Manhattan, Kansas in the Ashland Community. Clarence is survived by his wife Joyce Swallow of 63 years and by two children Joy Swallow and husband Brian Ball of Kansas City, Missouri; Kevin Swallow, of Kansas City, Missouri; one grandchild Alexander Ball and wife Anna Stelmach of Kansas City, Missouri, and a sister Marge Bigham of Vassar, Kansas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence & Esther Swallow, brother Leonard Swallow, sisters Edythe Figgins, Mary Louise Hughes, and Elaine Swallow.
The family will greet friends during a visitation from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m. Sunday the 20th of October 2019 at the Ashland Community Church, Manhattan, Kansas.
There will be a memorial service on the 21st of October 2019, 10:30am, at the Ashland Community Church, Manhattan, Kansas. Burial will be at the Ashland Community Cemetery.
Memorial contributions in memory of Clarence are suggested to the Ashland Community Church Building Fund. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.
Online condolences may be left for the family through the funeral home website at www.ymlfuneralhome.com