Judge Cloyd Clark
May 23, 1942 - Feb. 28, 2021
Saying Goodbye to a Community Leader and Friend
Judge Clark was the author of many years of successful grants from our agency to help provide financial support to the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival, which we consider one of Nebraska’s stellar annual events. Many of our staff members have travelled from eastern Nebraska to attend Buffalo Commons in addition to enjoying other cultural activities in McCook.
“Judge Clark was one of the reasons I love traveling this state. He was a character; a Nebraska original, and he was a great champion for the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival and for the McCook community. I’ll miss him, but he leaves a great legacy.” -- Deputy Director Mike Markey NAC.
On behalf of the board and staff of the Nebraska Arts Council, we extend our condolences to Cloyd’s family and all of our friends in the McCook area.
About Judge Cloyd Clark
A believer in the value of community and a visionary for the future, Cloyd worked tirelessly on civic projects. He served as president of the McCook Rotary Club and District Governor, President of the Nebraska Historical Society and member of the Nebraska Historical Society Foundation and Norris Institute. He was a board member of the High Plains Historical Society, member of the McCook Tree Board and Elwood American Legion Post 290, and trustee of the Deere Creek Norwegian Church. He was instrumental in creating the Heritage Square walking tour.
Cloyd was a founding member of the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival, where he savored community stories, delighted audiences with his own and was recipient of the Master Storyteller Award. He will be remembered for his Southwest Nebraska Community Theatre roles in Paint Your Wagon, Music Man, Annie Get Your Gun and especially as Teddy Roosevelt in Arsenic and Old Lace (twice).
Early in his judgeship, Cloyd received an unusual present at an office gift exchange. Amidst the dog-eared pages of a worn cookbook, Cloyd found a recipe for sourdough bread. For the rest of his life, Cloyd made six loaves every week. While most were enjoyed by his family, as an integral component of the delicious meals he regularly prepared, he also made a point of giving loaves to friends, sometimes for a special occasion, sometimes just because. His lifelong passion for making bread and sharing it with others was a daily reminder of his creative nature, his generous spirit, and the love he felt for his community.