Clinton Simon | 1957 - 2023
Obituaries-Mobridge / Posted Oct 26, 2023 | 3:15 PM / 412 views
Funeral services for Clinton Simon, 65, of Parade will be held at 10 AM (MT), Monday, October 30, 2023, at the Simon Farm and Ranch, 10 miles East and 1/2 mile North of Eagle Butte. Visitation will be 5 PM (MT), Sunday, October 29, 2023, followed by a prayer service at 6 PM (MT) at the Ranch. Kesling Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, burial will be held at a later date. Clinton passed away Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at Monument Health Hospital in Rapid City.
Clinton Robert Simon was born on November 18, 1957 to Jean (Miller) and Robert “Sonny” Simon. He grew up on a family farm 11 miles east of Eagle Butte with his older sister, Lora and younger brother, Clayton. Clint tragically lost his father at a very young age and was raised by a loving mother and the help of a village of very caring relatives and neighbors. Growing up, Clint put in a lot of miles on his horse and motorcycle as he traveled to help Uncles and close neighbors work cattle, break horses, repair machinery, haul “idiot cubes”, work hogs, and fix fence. Clint enjoyed hunting; he and his brother used their hunting skills to contribute meals to their single parent family while growing up. He enjoyed trapping and hunting varmints and was knick-named “Coyote Bob” at a young age.
Clinton graduated from Cheyenne Eagle Butte High School in 1976. In high school he played football and wrestled in between helping his mom and neighbors. Although school was not his favorite, he loved hands-on learning. The many jobs that he took as a teenager and young adult shaped him into a man of many talents. He was often called to aid in an emergency animal c-section, asked to fix the unfixable, or share “tricks-of-his-trades” on a variety of topics. He was always happy to help when he could. The only struggle that neighbors had was if they asked to borrow a tool: Clint (and maybe God) were the only ones who knew where it could be found!
He married his high school sweetheart, Catherine Rose Schrempp, on August 20, 1977. To this union three children were born: Amy Jane, Jennifer Rose, and Robert Paul Richard. You rarely saw Clint without one of his kids/grandkids or a niece/nephew by his side. Clint and Cathy bought “The Old Haberman Place” on a loan that neared 20% interest and bought their first tractor on the money received from the old “Sioux Benefit”. Along with the help of their children and many family and friends, the pair worked tirelessly to establish the farm and ranch that they have today. They raised cattle, sheep, hogs, chickens, the occasional goat for the girls to practice their goat tying endeavors, and enough rabbits to populate a small island at one point. Over the years, they farmed a variety of crops and Clint was one of the first people in Dewey County to use the no-till planting methods, which is widely used today in this part of the state. He was in the seed sales business through the Garst/ICI/DeKalb companies as a means to help off-set seed costs while networking with others on the best practices in farming. Although planting seed plots was NOT his favorite – he sure enjoyed watching them grow and share the methods that worked well with local folks vs. those east river farmers. He was a living almanac and watched the lunar rotations along with both wild and domestic animal behavior to predict incoming storms, when he would put crops in the ground,where to find a lost calf, and even the birth of his grandchildren!
Yet, even with the hustle and bustle of farm life Clint would take the time to assure he made it to any sports activity, theater show, band/choir concert, or award ceremony that any of his kids and grandkids were involved in. You could count on him to help coach youth sports, young hunters, 4-H BB gun, and livestock events. It was important to him that his kids knew the value of work regardless of the passion. Many of Amy and Jennifer’s favorite memories are riding home horseback from helping a neighbor and being told with a prideful smile: “You girls outworked quite a few people there”. He loved that Robert was interested in flying from an early age; and always the supportive parent he connected him with a local pilot to get his first flying license and was so proud to be able to enjoy the perks of having an airline pilot as a son who could help him hop a plane to visit relatives in California.
As he became a grandpa, he knew no limit of loving and giving. The birth of his first grandchild marked the first window air conditioning unit in the house – a point of contention that his kids teased him about frequently. 😊 Anyone who gave him their ear heard firsthand about what his kids and grandchildren were up to; you could see this in the pride on his face and the extra inch he grew in these conversations. He was known to enjoy analyzing the outcome of any sporting event (even those he didn’t know much about). He took a special pride in his youth wrestlers and the fact that his daughter Jennifer was one of the first girls to wrestle at the AAU state wrestling tournament; he loved talking football and wrestling with anyone who shared his interest. He was known to have a quick wit he would often get into short “matches” with his kids and grandkids to see who could land the best joke or pun. He was also known to give knick-names to those he was closest to, and his grandchildren were no different.
Clint is survived by his wife, Cathy; children Amy (Samson) Boutchee from Pierre, SD, Jennifer Simon from Brooklyn Park, MN, and Robert Paul Simon of Minneapolis, MN. Grandchildren Isaiah Simon (Porkchop), Warrant Garreau (Sits-a-lot), Mariah (Ian Porter) Simon-Frazier (Sweet Pea) Alscessa Elsey (Alley Cat), Elijah Boutchee (Jasper), Sophia Boutchee (Peabody), and Josiah Boutchee (Rooster); Great-grandson: Sakai Porter (Lil’ Mac – short for MacGyver)
Clint was preceded in death by his parents: Robert Simon Jr., Jean (Miller) Simon-McClure, a step-father James McClure, his sister Lora Berndt, his brother Clayton Simon; and several other friends and relatives.
To honor Clint: Pour yourself a glass of iced tea or thermos of coffee, play a game of cards, buy a raffle ticket to support a good cause, help a neighbor, or call someone you love to see how they are doing.