Ardith Clair

MENDON, lll. -- Ardith E. Clair, 81, of Mendon, died Tuesday (March 31, 2015) at St. John's Hospital in Springfield.

Ardith was born Aug. 13, 1933, in Adams County to the late Glen and Hyacinthia (Berlin) Clair.

She graduated from Unity High School in Mendon. She farmed near Mendon for many years and worked at Chatten Apple Orchard in Quincy in the summer. Ardith worked for the Unit No. 4 School District as a bus driver and for North Adams Home in Mendon for 35 years. She was an EMT when the ambulance service was getting started.

Ardith was a member of Congregational Church of Mendon. She was a member of the Mississippi Valley Button Club in Quincy, National Button Club as well as button clubs in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. She attended shows with her button collection and won many of them. She was a charter member of the Adams County Olde Tyme Association, serving as club historian and souvenir/ad book from the beginning. She was a member of Western Illinois Threshers at Hamilton and took an active part in the organization.

She was a member of the Heartland Saddle Club in Virginia and established the Ardith Clair-Lloyd Hoffman Saddle Club Youth Award given out each year. She enjoyed showing horses in the '50s and continued showing quarter horses (her favorite was Buddy) and mini horses (her favorite was Dude). She was always making costumes for the horses, herself and Lloyd, showing in the fun class.

Ardith showed home can items in her early years at the Adams County Fair and other fairs in the area, being one of the top winners. She was a member of the American Quarter Horse Association, the Mini Horse Association, National Rifle Association and the Farm Bureau. She was a member of the Illinois Corn Husking and the National Corn Husking Association. She won many first and second places in the state and placed first, second, third and fourth over the years in the National Corn Husking contest. She husked corn by hand for 18 years.

She was a collector of cookbooks and had amassed over 9,000. She loved going to sales. She was an excellent cook and baker and liked working in the garden. She enjoyed life to the fullest, always keeping active and busy.

Surviving are her special longtime friend, companion and love of her life, Lloyd Hoffman of Loraine, and cousins.

SERVICES: 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, at the Hunter Funeral Home, Mendon, with Chaplain Karla Smith conducting. Interment will be in Bethlehem Cemetery, Sutter.

VISITATION: 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, at the funeral home.

MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Heartland Saddle Club Award for Youth, Western Illinois Threshers or Congregational Church of Mendon.

ARRANGEMENTS: Hunter Funeral Home, Mendon.

WEBSITE: www.hunterfh.com.

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