Clara Mae Arnold

Clara Mae Kimbrough Arnold, joined her parents (Thomas Guy and Mamie Lewis Kimbrough) and son (Paul M. Hogan) in heaven on June 13, 2015 at 2:38 am with her family by her side.

She was born at her home on 730 Ogden Street in Beaumont, Texas on September 8, 1929 weighing nine pounds. She was raised in the South Park area, where she obtained her first job working behind the candy counter at Kress at the age of 13. When she was 15, she used to skip school to go dancing with her friends at Pleasure Pier. At the age of 16, she went to Louisiana with friends gambling and won lots of nickels. She tip-toed into her parents’ home late that night, but ended up spilling all her nickels on the floor causing her father to wake and say “Clara Mae, you’ve been across the river.”

She met Paul Melvin Hogan at the skating rink, where he used to tie her skates. They married on April 7, 1948, and moved to California where he worked in construction, and she worked as a roller skating car hop. They moved back to Texas again for employment. On December 29, 1948 of that same year, their son, Paul Melvin Jr., was born. They moved to Washington D.C., and then Georgia again for employment. Clara worked for Melvin’s mother at her fish camp, where they also lived. On January 22nd, 1956, they had a daughter, Doris Lavania. Thirteen months later, on March 1, 1957, their second daughter, Kathy Dawn, was born. Their youngest daughter, Kimberly Anne, was born February 3, 1960. In 1963, Clara and Melvin decided to terminate their marriage due to irreconcilable differences.

After her divorce, Clara attended Green Leaf Business School in Georgia with the financial assistance of her father. On July 27, 1964, she married Arthur Frank Arnold, who was a Sergeant First Class in the Army. They soon began their adventures in the military. Shortly after they were married, Art was shipped to Korea, and Clara wrote him every day. Upon his return, the military moved the family to Fort Ord, California, then Schofield Barracks on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. Clara worked at Tripler Army Hospital in the NCO club as the Bookkeeper. She was a Girl Scout Leader for three years. She bowled on many leagues. She was also the NCO Wives Club President, an organization that prepared families for moving, and also organized family events. Although she had a busy life working, and volunteering, she still had time to create handmade outfits for her three daughters. The Army moved them yet again to Coppers Cove, Texas, and then finally to Georgia, where Art retired from the military.

They both went to work as Civil Servants on the Army base at Fort McPherson. On July 26, 1972, they welcomed their first grandchild, April. Clara left her job as a Civil Servant to work as a bookkeeper for a plumber in Atlanta. When she needed to type a letter, she used to clear everyone out of her office so she could concentrate because she didn’t like to type. She would leave work in the evenings to spend time with her mother until Art’s workday ended, then they would ride to their home in Orchard Hill. On October 6, 1980, their grandson, Matt, was born. Clara continued to volunteer at the schools, church, and bowl on a league. She soon sold Home Interior, and became one of the top sales women for the company. Because of this, she was able to quit her job with the plumber. She and Art eventually retired, sold all their worldly belongings, and began traveling by motor home around the country. She was blessed with another granddaughter, Nicole, on December 14, 1988, two great grandsons, J.J. (December 24, 1993) and Mark (April 1, 1995). In 1997, she opened a resale shop in Beaumont, but closed it in 2000 to spend time with her family.

Clara was a vibrant woman who lived by strong principles, believed in family, and welcomed all new friends because she never met a stranger. She loved to travel and has seen a good part of the world. She could tell a story as if you were living it with her. She loved shopping, and especially buying shoes.

Clara was living in Groves, Texas with her beloved pet, “Mr. Kat”, during the time of her death on June 13, 2015. She and Art would have been married 51 years in July. She was 85 years young.

Clara is survived by:
Husband – Arthur Arnold
Daughters and Spouses – Joe and Doris Jones; Dawn Buffington; Doug and Kim Christian
Grandchildren and Spouses – Russell and April Hawkins; Matt Christian; Nicole and Cassie Callais
Great Grandchildren – John Petersberger, Mark Petersberger, Josie Hawkins, Jenna Hawkins, and Robert Hawkins

Her granddaughter’s family had given her a box of personalized Bible verses for Christmas. There was only one verse that had not been read on the day of her death, and it read, “I will protect and carry you, CLARA, all the days of your life.” Isaiah 46:4.