Elizabeth Clayton

Elizabeth (Pat) Clayton died January 10, 2025, at Park Centre Garden View, Newton, Iowa, at age 95. She was born on August 17, 1929, in Utica, New York, to Walter Miller and Elizabeth Patty (Austen) Miller. Her family lived in Pulaski, NY near the east end of Lake Ontario where her father was a potato farmer. She graduated from Pulaski High School in 1947 and was Salutatorian of her class.

She then went to Syracuse University, first as a music major and then changed and received her B.S. degree in Nutrition in 1952. Next, she went on to the University of Iowa and received her M.S. degree in Nutrition in 1954. While also working as a dietician at the university hospital, she met Ben Clayton, who was a senior law student with a board job at the hospital.

Ben got a job in Newton with the Korf and Diehl law firm. They were married on March 28, 1954, at the Episcopal church in Iowa City and took up residence in Newton—first in an apartment and later in a small two-bedroom house. In late 1958 they bought the big twelve room house on South Sixth Avenue West where they raised their family. They lived in the same house for 60 years. They moved to Park Centre in 2018.

Pat worked briefly for the Maytag Company Products Test Lab as a home economist. When the oldest child was born, she became a stay-at-home mother for twenty years. She was recruited to be the eight-hours-a-month dietician at the Jasper County Care Facility. This led to her managing the food service operations at the Care Facility. She went back to school part-time at DMACC where she received her AA degree in Nursing Home Administration. This then qualified her to become the Administrator of the Care Facility until she retired in 1999.

Pat was an active working member of the United Presbyterian Church, where she served on the Board of Elders and was Clerk of the Board. She was also in TTT and other community organizations.

Her greatest love was her family, and she was very proud of her children and grandchildren. She also loved music and cooking. Listening to the Metropolitan Opera on Saturdays was her special time. Watching Julia Child’s cooking show was another passion, which reaped gourmet meals for her family.

She was preceded in death by her parents and three older brothers, David, Bud and William Miller. She is survived by her husband of 70 years and six children: Dan of Rochester, NY; Tom (Kim Edwards) of Lexington, KY; Elizabeth (David) Flores of Sacramento, CA; Martha Clayton (Chris Cottle) of Perrysburg, OH; Ruth (Scott) Olson of Minneapolis, MN; and David (Cindy) of Houston, TX. She is also survived by her 11 grandchildren.

She has been cremated and there will be a memorial service in the spring, which will be announced at that time. Memorial gifts may be made to the United Presbyterian Church in Newton.