Margarine Bivins Clark

Margarine Bivins Clark, 99, a teacher, scholar, mother, wife, and wonderful friend, died April 9, 2005. A native of Daviess County, Mrs. Clark was a daughter of June and Katherine Head Bivins who lived near Yelvington and owned general stores in that area for many years. She loved education and received her teaching certificate from Murray State Teachers College, a Bachelors Degree from Evansville College, and a Masters Degree from Indiana University. She began her teaching career in 1925 in a one room school. She taught for a total of 37 years in Daviess County, Kentucky and Spencer County, Indiana, including one year in Muskegon, Michigan. Among some of her assignments, she taught math, English, coached basketball, and served as principal of Hatfield Elementary School. She was doing what she loved, touching hearts and minds.

She married Howard Walton Clark in 1931, he was a road contactor and they enjoyed farming and gardening while Margarine taught school. Howard died in 1987 after 56 years of marriage. They were members of Bethlehem United Methodist Church as were their families for four generations. She taught Sunday School and served on the board for many years. They loved their neighbors and would freely share their large gardens with them and others.

Survivors include her daughter Rosa Katherine and her husband Al Allomong of Maggie Valley, NC, and her daughter Ruth Seydel and grandson Howard Clark Seydel of Atlanta, her sister Anna Tom Vonderscher and her 5 children, her brother-in-law Robley H. Rex, her nephew Howard Thomas Jones and his daughter Debbie Fulkerson, her niece Jean Kataja and her 4 children of Michigan, and a great niece Karen Sue Myers of Louisville and cousin Barbara Jean Greenwell.

Services are at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Glenn Funeral Home, Owensboro, KY where visitation will be from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday. Burial will be in Owensboro Memorial Gardens Cemetery near Thurston.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Margarine Bivins Clark Scholarship Fund at Kentucky Wesleyan College. The scholarship fund was established 15 years ago to honor her dedication to education. It is awarded annually to students from Spencer and Daviess County who want to become teachers. Contributions may be mailed to Kentucky Wesleyan College Development Office, 3000 Frederica Street, Owensboro, Kentucky 42301.