Wesley Gene Clements

Wesley Gene Clements, of Groesbeck, passed away at home on Thursday, May 6, 2021, at age 63.   He had endured a lengthy battle with cancer.  

The family will hold a Celebration of his life on Sunday, May 30, 2021 at Derden Cemetery (near Rio Vista, TX.)

Wesley was born July 16, 1957 to Carl Weldon Clements and Elouise (Callaway) Clements in Ft. Worth.    He grew up in Fort Worth and graduated from O.D. Wyatt High School in 1975.

Wesley was united in marriage with Connie Wilkerson in Fort Worth on November 10, 1974.    They lived in Charleston, South Carolina, while Wesley  served in the U. S. Navy for 6 years, from 1978 through 1984.  

Wesley served on the Francis Scott Key submarine and learned electronic engineering skills.   Even as a child at home he had been active in wiring gadgets.   Life on the nuclear submarine was a dangerous situation, so while he was on leave, Wesley shopped for funny gags to bring out on the submarine to relieve tensions.   He loved to make people laugh all his life and enjoyed getting a “rise” out of people for fun. 

After leaving the Navy the family moved to West Texas to get as far away from water as he could, although he continued to love to fish and was avid in catfishing.    Wesley and Connie loved country dancing and they “two-stepped” and waltzed their “way across Texas.”  They raised their two sons in Midland, where they lived for about 25 years.  He worked for Texas Instruments in Midland and as an X-Ray and Imaging Tech, installing and maintaining equipment in Lubbock and Midland.

Wesley was involved with his sons in Boy Scouts.   As an electronic engineer, he was an amateur radio, ham operator.   He had communicated with people all over the world and met quite a few of his radio contacts.    He was very smart and articulate, and retained so much knowledge, from solid serious subjects to trivia.   He was interested in everything. 

Wesley was an excellent cook.  He loved to cook outside and make Texas BBQ.  He made pies from scratch (no store-bought crust) and used many of his mother’s recipes, as she had been a 24-hour a day cook.

Although he grew up in the city, Wesley became a country fellow.  The family moved to a farm in Quinlan, where he was devoted to his animals – goats, chickens, pig, horse, dog and rabbits.  Before moving to Groesbeck two years ago, he suffered deeply from the loss of his animals. But he still maintained his interest in ham radio communications and had his radio tower at his home in Groesbeck.  He befriended many new acquaintances.   He was a devoted caretaker of Connie during her final illness.  

Wesley was a member of the Baptist Church, and served on the Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief team.   He had to take a course in using a chain saw and obtained FEMA certification and Sky Warn training.   After moving to Groesbeck, he was a member of the First Baptist Church of Tehuacana.    He had great faith, and his faith only grew stronger. His deepest sorrow at the end was being unable to go to church any longer.

Wesley was preceded in death by his parents; and in the past two years, his wife, Connie Clements, and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Don and Gail Wilkerson.

He is survived by his brother, Russel Clements of Denton; sister, Elaine Nave of Phoenix, AZ; son, Nathaniel “Nathan” Clements of Corpus Christi; and son Jacob Clements of Groesbeck; grandchildren and great grandchildren; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Dixie and Mike McLellan of Groesbeck; and nieces and nephews.