Joseph Francis Clunk was my Step Grandfather. He was born with the gift of sight, which he lost rapidly at about the age of 20 (shortly after his graduation from High School -- see photo from 1915). At first, he was very bitter about this loss, but eventually learned to use his other talents and he overcame many obstacles. He worked for years in the U.S. Government (the Federal Security Agency) and then in Canada as their Director of Occupational Programs in their Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
In 1944, he authored a pamphlet, "An Open Letter to My Newly Blind Friend." He was energetic and worked very hard to make provisions for blind workers in both the United States and Canada.
He is also mentioned frequently in the book, "Journey to Independence: Blindness, the Canadian Story" Dundurn Press, Ltd, 2005.
In 1969, he was the Ambrose M. Shotwell Award Recipient presented by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. He was also commended by President Nixon in the early 1970s for his work with the Auto Industry in Detroit, Michigan -- to modify production methods to use visually impaired workers on their assembly lines.
His first wife was Mildred Norton (Clunk), born Aug 1895 in Shelby, Richland County, Ohio. They were married 29 Mar 1918 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. She bore him children, but I haven't found many details on them since Ancestry.com masks them. It is possible that his son was John Clunk and he died of Muscular Distrophy, but if you have more accurate information on his primary family, please let me know with a Request for Correction. I also have no information on her date of death, place of death, and where she is buried.
He is buried in this same cemetery as his second wife and my Grandmother, Ida Lurene Ridgely Davis Clunk Sweet. She is buried in the Last Supper Section with her third husband as "Lurene Sweet," although she loved and was very proud of "Papa Joe," or "Gramps," as we knew him.
In 1944, he authored a pamphlet, "An Open Letter to My Newly Blind Friend." He was energetic and worked very hard to make provisions for blind workers in both the United States and Canada.
He is also mentioned frequently in the book, "Journey to Independence: Blindness, the Canadian Story" Dundurn Press, Ltd, 2005.
In 1969, he was the Ambrose M. Shotwell Award Recipient presented by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. He was also commended by President Nixon in the early 1970s for his work with the Auto Industry in Detroit, Michigan -- to modify production methods to use visually impaired workers on their assembly lines.
His first wife was Mildred Norton (Clunk), born Aug 1895 in Shelby, Richland County, Ohio. They were married 29 Mar 1918 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. She bore him children, but I haven't found many details on them since Ancestry.com masks them. It is possible that his son was John Clunk and he died of Muscular Distrophy, but if you have more accurate information on his primary family, please let me know with a Request for Correction. I also have no information on her date of death, place of death, and where she is buried.
He is buried in this same cemetery as his second wife and my Grandmother, Ida Lurene Ridgely Davis Clunk Sweet. She is buried in the Last Supper Section with her third husband as "Lurene Sweet," although she loved and was very proud of "Papa Joe," or "Gramps," as we knew him.
Joseph Francis Clunk was my Step Grandfather. He was born with the gift of sight, which he lost rapidly at about the age of 20 (shortly after his graduation from High School -- see photo from 1915). At first, he was very bitter about this loss, but eventually learned to use his other talents and he overcame many obstacles. He worked for years in the U.S. Government (the Federal Security Agency) and then in Canada as their Director of Occupational Programs in their Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
In 1944, he authored a pamphlet, "An Open Letter to My Newly Blind Friend." He was energetic and worked very hard to make provisions for blind workers in both the United States and Canada.
He is also mentioned frequently in the book, "Journey to Independence: Blindness, the Canadian Story" Dundurn Press, Ltd, 2005.
In 1969, he was the Ambrose M. Shotwell Award Recipient presented by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. He was also commended by President Nixon in the early 1970s for his work with the Auto Industry in Detroit, Michigan -- to modify production methods to use visually impaired workers on their assembly lines.
His first wife was Mildred Norton (Clunk), born Aug 1895 in Shelby, Richland County, Ohio. They were married 29 Mar 1918 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. She bore him children, but I haven't found many details on them since Ancestry.com masks them. It is possible that his son was John Clunk and he died of Muscular Distrophy, but if you have more accurate information on his primary family, please let me know with a Request for Correction. I also have no information on her date of death, place of death, and where she is buried.
He is buried in this same cemetery as his second wife and my Grandmother, Ida Lurene Ridgely Davis Clunk Sweet. She is buried in the Last Supper Section with her third husband as "Lurene Sweet," although she loved and was very proud of "Papa Joe," or "Gramps," as we knew him.
In 1944, he authored a pamphlet, "An Open Letter to My Newly Blind Friend." He was energetic and worked very hard to make provisions for blind workers in both the United States and Canada.
He is also mentioned frequently in the book, "Journey to Independence: Blindness, the Canadian Story" Dundurn Press, Ltd, 2005.
In 1969, he was the Ambrose M. Shotwell Award Recipient presented by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. He was also commended by President Nixon in the early 1970s for his work with the Auto Industry in Detroit, Michigan -- to modify production methods to use visually impaired workers on their assembly lines.
His first wife was Mildred Norton (Clunk), born Aug 1895 in Shelby, Richland County, Ohio. They were married 29 Mar 1918 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. She bore him children, but I haven't found many details on them since Ancestry.com masks them. It is possible that his son was John Clunk and he died of Muscular Distrophy, but if you have more accurate information on his primary family, please let me know with a Request for Correction. I also have no information on her date of death, place of death, and where she is buried.
He is buried in this same cemetery as his second wife and my Grandmother, Ida Lurene Ridgely Davis Clunk Sweet. She is buried in the Last Supper Section with her third husband as "Lurene Sweet," although she loved and was very proud of "Papa Joe," or "Gramps," as we knew him.
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