Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Clara Jean LEMKE
By ALYSSA DURANTY / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
IRVINE – Known for her endearing smile and friendly demeanor, the sister-in-law of former President Richard M. Nixon maintained the memories of the Nixon family within Orange County.
Clara Jane Nixon, 92, died Friday from natural causes, according to the Richard Nixon Foundation.
Ed Nixon, brother to Richard and brother-in-law to Clara, said that friends and family are taking this moment to share memories of her.
"Her passing this morning leaves us with feelings of regret for having too many unfinished conversations, but rejoicing in the faith that kept her above the everyday noise all around us," he said. "I feel certain that Don and Rick are there to greet her at her next destination."
Clara Jane Nixon first met Don, one of the five Nixon brothers, when he worked at the family-owned grocery store in Whittier.
In an interview last May, Clara Jane Nixon remembered how they fell in love immediately.
"He just kept calling and I kept going," she said. "Then three weeks later he put a ring on my finger."
Clara Jane and Don Nixon were married for almost 45 years. Don Nixon died in 1987 from pneumonia in Newport Beach.
Clara Jane Nixon was known for helping recover and assemble original furniture pieces from the Nixon brother's childhood home that now resides at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda.
Roland Bigonger, Yorba Linda's first mayor, said in a past interview that she helped find 90 percent of the furnishings displayed in the farmhouse.
"She is probably the single most important asset we had in tracking down the furnishings of the house," he said.
Beyond restoring the home for display, Clara Jane Nixon participated and attended many of the social functions at the Richard Nixon Library.
Sandy Quinn, the Nixon Foundation president, considers her to have been a lovely and engaging woman.
"Without Clara Jane's vision and persistence in saving the furniture, the Birthplace would not be the historical treasure that visitors experience today," he said. "She was always supportive of the Nixon Foundation and for that we will always be grateful."
Clara Jane Nixon is survived by her son Donald and daughter Lawerne.
No public service has been scheduled and she will be buried with her husband and other Nixon family members at the Rose Hills Cemetery.
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