Clarence Habing (86) of Watson

Clarence Habing, 86, of Watson, Illinois passed away on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.

A memorial visitation will begin with military rites at 5:00 p.m. and continue until 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 3, 2025 at Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here. 

Clarence was born in 1938, the son of Aloysius and Elizabeth (Goeckner) Habing. He married Jeanne Parks in 1964. They have three children, Tom (Jenny Johnson), Tim (Charlotte Ludwig), and Tytia (Trevor Arsenault); and six grandchildren, Kelda, Krista, Anna, Collin, Hailey, and Tharin.

Clarence graduated from Beecher City High School. As a boy, he worked for area farmers and had a job at the Donaldson Filling Station in Beecher City. He started working for Caterpillar in Decatur and spent two years in the Army at White Sands Missile Base in New Mexico, after which he became a cement mason, working many years on construction projects, including the Shelbyville Dam. The job he loved best was farming, which he did for the last 40 years of his life. He was a member of the American Legion and was proud of his time in the service. He loved to dance on weekends, talk to everyone and never met a stranger. He loved to help others, was a founder of the Watson Volunteer Fire Department and was a trustee for 20 years. He was active in building the Watson Civic Center and Pavilion and other civic projects. He loved to travel when the farming allowed and made annual trips to Texas with friends. He once took a month-long tent camping trip to Alaska even though he knew there could be grizzly bears.

He leaves his wife of 60 years; three children; six grandchildren; sisters, Mabel Harris, Marcella (Don) Antrim, and Mardell Geisler; brothers, John and Raymond; sister-in-law, Evelyn Having; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Donald, who died as a child; brother, Delbert; brothers-in-law, Mac Harris and John Geisler; and sisters-in-law, Jane Habing and Judy Habing.