Clayton Eugene Knott

Clayton Eugene Knott was born on June 9, 1932 to Reece Walter and Lucy Knott. He had five brothers and two sisters, who all preceded him in death. As a young boy he enjoyed fishing. He enjoyed reflecting on his childhood, telling stories about when he was as young as six years old, going camping with his friend down by the river. His mom would give him corn meal and flower to make bread and they would fish for a few days. Others stories that he loved to tell were about his days when he was in school. He would say “When I went to school, I would go in the front, and out the back.” He always boasted how although he did not go to school past the sixth grade everyone he worked with thought that he had a college education. He also loved telling the stories of his years of teenage mischief. Like the time when he was trying to get watermelons off of the delivery truck and he was shot. Or when he had his moonshine still and would run his moonshine. He was proud to say that his still was in a museum for one of the best that the police came across.

In 1951, he and a friend were driving around town and saw a girl walking home from work. They made a bet to see who could get a date with her first. Clayton pulled alongside her and asked if she would like a ride. When she declined, saying that she didn’t ride with strangers, he pulled over and insisted that if she would ride with him, he would take the long walk with her. This is how he met, Ella Mae Felts “Sally”, whom he married only one year later in 1952. Together they had three daughters and one son. They moved to California in 1965, where he worked for McDonald-Douglas as a router shaper for 26 years. He was a hard working man and was offered management positions many times, but refused it because he loved hands on work. He even continued working after he was able to retire to earn his 25 year pendant. His storytelling continued with many tales about his years working. He would often reminisce about the time when they were on strike. He would go to the picket line, sign in, and then he and his coworkers would go to the local bar and drink instead of spending the day protesting. He would return to the picket line only when it was time to sign out. He said that he spent a total of 10 minutes picketing, 5 minutes to sign in, 5 minutes to sign out.

Over the years he became a very skilled musician. He knew how to play the guitar, piano, and organ. He never learned to read music, but he didn’t have to, he could play beautiful music by ear.

He also loved to work on cars so much that he would take an old run down, classic car, take it apart and completely rebuild and restore it. Today there are two cars that he was unable to complete at his home that he was so close to restoring with the hope of giving them to his children. He was a jack of all trades and there wasn’t a thing he couldn’t fix, work on or do if he put his mind to it.

He lost his wife of 33 years on November 6, 1985. He retired in May of 1989 and continued to enjoy his hobbies of camping and fishing until 1997 when he had to have his right leg amputated. Once after his surgery his doctor put him on a medication that gave him quite a surprising effect. He hallucinated all night. He woke his daughter and grandchildren up claiming that he saw things such as potato bugs in a trash bag, a little girl hiding behind the door, and even a mouse that was living on the wheel of his wheelchair. When he was told that nothing was there he tried to burn the mouse with the end of his cigarette, yelling “Don’t you see him? I’m not going to let this little S.O.B, prove me crazy! Look now, he’s pissin’ on my wheelchair!”

However, even with his disability, he continued to live independently and do things that would amaze us. He would run errands, visiting friends, and even making new ones while out enjoying rides on his scooter.

He loved his two dogs, pooch and girlfriend who were his companions until the end.

His will to live was amazing. He was unwilling to go out without a fight. He expressed to family that he simply wanted to see his 11 grandkids in life and to see his 9 great grandkids grow up and go to college.

Just a few days before his passing, he chose to accept Jesus into his life saying that the Lord had cleansed his soul, and that when he passed on he would have a new body. He looked forward to seeing those who passed before him in heaven. He was a very strong man who gave tough love to all around him, and would help anyone as long as they were doing right. He and his great stories, wonderful cooking, funny sayings, and much more will be greatly missed, but will forever live on in our minds and our hearts.