Margaret Clepper
At 96, Margaret DeWolfe Clepper entered into rest February 17, 2021. Born at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation Hospital, Margaret grew up during the Great Depression near Gordon, Nebraska on a cattle ranch with 10 siblings and her parents, Harry B. and Cora Sears Shields DeWolf. At 20, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during World War 2 achieving the rank of Pharmacist’s Mate 3rd Class while serving as a dental hygienist and assisting in the forensic dental identification of servicemen.
During her time at NAS Glenview she met the love of her life, James A. Clepper, a naval officer from Wheeler, Texas. On Christmas Eve, 1944 Margaret waited in line at the Chicago USO for tickets when Jim spotted, “The most beautiful girl I’d ever seen.” They married in Hot Springs, South Dakota in the spring of 1946 when he returned from duty in the Pacific. The devoted couple were blessed with over 75 years together.