DELLA MAY CLAPP

BLUFFTON - Della May Clapp passed away at 11:48 AM on October 7, 2023, at the Mennonite Memorial Home, Bluffton, OH.  She was born on May 11,1934 (89 years) to Grover and Ruth (VanBibber) Harris in Smithville, MO.

Della had 8 siblings: 2 Brothers- Paul Harris (Jessie), Chester Harris, (Eleanor), and 6 sisters- Francis Reeves, (Charles), Alberta Hall, (Gene), Sarah Elliott, (Edgar), Nina Shannon, (John), Mary Warren, (Leonard), and Wilma Shannon, (Ed).

Della is preceded in death by her parents, her spouse, Clay Clapp, and all siblings, except surviving sister,  Wilma Shannon.

Della grew up in rural, meager surroundings near Roosterville, Missouri, where she attended a one room country school. She was chosen by her teacher to come to school the following day, to start the wood stove before other classmates arrived.  It snowed that night. Della walked to school, in the snow to get that fire started, only to find the school had been cancelled due to the snowfall!

All the Harris kids got one pair of shoes for school, but went barefoot in the summer.  Which probably explains why she has a good size scar on her left foot.  She fondly re -tells the story of riding a mule into the hen house, (after her Mother told her not to ride that mule) and cut a gash in her foot, on a piece of barbed wire. There was lye soap involved with that treatment, but not sure about a spanking.

The family later moved to Liberty, Missouri where Della graduated from Liberty High School in 1952.  It was here where she met Louis Schmitt and they married in 1954. They have two children; Stephen, (Cecelia) Schmitt, Liberty, MO and Paula Frey /PK, (Gary) of Pandora, Ohio.

Della said these two children were the best thing she had ever done!

Della has two Grandchildren; Megan Connell-Cox, Newark, Ohio and Brett Schmitt, Liberty, MO.  She loves her Grandchildren unconditionally, and is very proud of them, especially when they both graduated with college educations.  She hopes the best of life for them and has messages for them --

Megan, "I LOVE YOU A BUSHEL AND A PECK AND A HUG AROUND THE NECK".

"Brett, Grandma saved you some quarters for the batting cage".  (see AUNT PAULA about that)

Della has 23 nieces and nephews and many great nieces and nephews. She always sent birthday cards to each one of them and remembered the dates correctly. She had a great memory! If you wanted to know a date, just call her and she'd tell you.

Della was good with numbers. Up until recently, she was still balancing her checkbook – to the penny!!   She was determined that Dementia wasn't going to get her as it did some of her siblings. Dementia ran the other direction when it saw Della.

Della married Clay Clapp, October 24, 1980.  They were married 25 years until his death, December, 2005. They lived in Liberty, MO where they both were active in the VFW Post #4034. Della was a member of VFW Ladies Auxiliary #5717.

Later on, they moved to Marceline, Missouri, to a 13- acre woods, with 3 ponds, affectionately known as Three Pond Lodge.  Each Fourth of July, there would be a Fish Fry with all the fish you could eat, and all the fixings. Family and neighbors would come for miles, to enjoy the good food, fish and fun.

Della worked in the Pleasant Hill Elementary School cafeteria as a cook when her children were growing up. Later she worked as a secretary for Mid- American Truckline, Kansas City, and a cashier at Prenger's Grocery Store, Marceline, MO.

Della enjoyed listening and singing music, played piano by ear and loved to dance. She was lucky at BINGO and scratch-off tickets!! She was an accomplished seamstress, deer hunter, morel mushroom hunter, and fisherman. She was a great cook – loved that yummy potato salad and BBQ Brisket--!!

She was an avid collector of Angels, Cardinals and blue glass dishes; which she probably acquired at one of the many garage sales she stopped at regularly.

She was feisty, stubborn, tough, outspoken and a fighter. Anyone who knows Della, knows she loves ALL children, even if they weren't related. She was everybody's favorite Grandma and Aunt.

Della has made an anatomical gift of her body in efforts to help others – especially children.

In honor of Della Clapp, please consider making a donation to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital        (Stjude.org )

Per Della's request, there will be no funeral services.  A private burial will take place at a later date in High Hill Cemetery, Lingo, MO.

Condolences may be expressed at www.lovefuneralhome.com.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105
Tel: 1-800-805-5856
Web: http://www.stjude.org/