by Joseph Hardaway
“Clarence Clements” was really Clarence Clemmons. Born December 23rd 1889 to Amos Clemmons and Josey Clemmons. Clarence had a total of eight siblings: Antha, Walter, Clarra, Tommy, Kitty, Hal, Bobbie, and Cleveland. When Clarence was ten, he and his siblings helped their parents with the family farm in Sumter, Georgia.
Clarence was working in Norfolk, Virginia for the Baker Brothers as a porter when he was drafted on June 5, 1917. He was officially inducted into military service for the United States Army on July 30, 1917. On his draft papers Clarence was described as a medium built and medium-sized individual. He severed as a porter while in the military at Camp Mead in Maryland . Once he left military service somewhere around the year of 1920 Clarence returned to working as a civilian porter for the T.G. Youngman company in Norfolk, Virginia and lived at 804 Monticello Ave., in Norfolk.
At some point Clarence moved to Buffalo, New York where in 1923 he met his wife Adeline Crosby. They were married on July 23, 1923. Clarence worked as a molder in the local foundry while raising his family of two step children, Frank and Elizabeth. Frank attended some college, but it is not clear as to how much. Clarence died on January 11, 1943 and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, New York. His wife Adeline died April 23 1949 and is also buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery.