Obituary: Nolan, Clifford Russell
Age 79
He was 79.
Funeral Services will be Monday, April 6th, at 10:30 a.m. at the Onecho Bible Church with a graveside service following at 3:00 p.m. at the Dusty Cemetery.
Viewing will be Thursday and Friday at Bruning Funeral Home.
Clifford Russell Nolan was born April 22, 1935 at Pasco, WA to David W. and Sue Jean (Ashby) Nolan.
Cliff was the third child born in a family of four.
He and his brother and sisters grew up on farms around Colfax and Colton while Cliff’s dad was working with the Curtis family.
Cliff was a mischievous young boy who liked fast cars and boxing.
He and three other teens from Colfax all left high school at an early age to enlist in the Korean War.
Cliff served in the U.S. Navy as a storekeeper.
He saw duty in areas such as Japan, Korea, Guam and Hawaii with the VS25 squadron.
Part of his responsibilities included maintaining and servicing a plane that was assigned to him; “his plane”.
He also did submarine spotting from the air.
Upon his honorable discharge from the Navy, Cliff returned to Colfax and in 2004 he and some of the others who enlisted each received their diplomas from the Colfax High School.
He was working on a highway construction project when a mutual friend introduced him to Jeanette Broeckel of Dusty.
A whirlwind romance ensued and after a short courtship the couple married September 27, 1958 at her grandfather’s church, St. John Congregational Church (now Country Bible Church) at Dusty.
They made their home in Colfax where Cliff worked for Neil’s Tire and later for Bill Burns at the Firestone Tire Shop.
They started their family and for a few months lived and worked in Walla Walla when Greg was a baby.
Cliff was never afraid of work and often held two jobs or more to keep his family going.
After long, 16 hour days in Walla Walla he found himself back in Colfax turning over a new leaf.
On January 1, 1962 he put on a policeman’s uniform and began his journey with the Colfax Police Department.
He also served during this time as a Volunteer Fireman and EMT.
Cliff worked his way up the ranks and when he left the department nine years later it was as its Chief of Police.
He went to work at the local marina and for Arrow Auto Parts and later for Burns Auto Parts.
Cliff then embarked on a twenty plus year career with the Whitman County Road Department.
During all this time he and Jeanette along with their two children would be cleaning buildings all over Colfax or running the roller skating rink.
In younger years he liked to race cars at the dirt tracks around here or at the Stateline Speedway.
To this day, he still holds the check he received for a first place finish at Stateline.
(but only because it bounced).
He was active in Jay-Cee’s, the Elks Club, American Legion and the Colfax Rotary Club.
Cliff and Jeanette held a membership at Plymouth Congregational Church for years and more recently had been attending the Onecho Bible Church.
He loved fishing, especially for steelhead, camping and trips in their RV.
He always had sports on the TV and was an avid fan.
Cliff’s best times, however, were the times he spent with his grandsons.
These four boys had a very special way of softening “Poppa Bear” or “Poppy” as he was called, into a big marshmallow.
He truly had a soft spot in his heart for his family.
Cliff leaves behind his wife of 56 years, Jeanette, at their Colfax home; two children, Greg (Gwen) Nolan, Colfax, and Pam (Ken) Beasley of Waitsburg, WA; four grandsons, Jason and Andrew Nolan and Zach and Austin Beasley; his brother, William “Bill” Clayton Nolan of Sparks, NV and numerous extended family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his two sisters, Beverly Noe and Sharon Nolan as well as his parents.
The family suggests memorial gifts be made to the Harley Motorcycle Preservation Fund, c/o Whitman County Historical Society, 624 Perkins Ave., Colfax, WA or to Relay for Life, P.O.
Box 63, Colfax 99111.
On-line guest book is at www.bruningfuneralhome.com BRUNING FUNERAL HOME, Colfax, WA