Wednesday, October 07, 2020

Longtime companions ....

"I didn't know they had gay people in Chariton back in 1960" was the tongue-in-cheek comment of a friend last week after I shared on Facebook a reunion photograph of the CHS Class of 1960, looking for an assist in identifying those pictured.

The photograph and other memorabilia related to the late Ed Dawson (left), a member of that class, arrived at the museum last week via Avis at City Hall, sent to us by Jacky Rakstang, sister of Ed's longtime companion and partner, Cliff Jensen, in charge of dealing with Cliff's belongings after his death.

So of course there always have been LGBTQ folks in Chariton, but Lucas County is not an especially good place for gay kids. So most head elsewhere as soon as they're able after high school, hopefully taking with them at least some pleasant memories and willing to return now and then.

That certainly was the case with Ed, only child of Ted and Genevieve Dawson, who attended the University of Iowa after graduating with the Class of 1960, then enlisted in the U.S. Army for a three-year tour of duty that took him to Germany.

After the Army, he settled in Chicago, studied computer science, then went to work as a systems analyst for General Electric. He met Cliff Jensen, an interior designer, and they moved into a home in Elmwood Park, Illinois, and eventually started a design-related business.

The men shared many adventures and lots of travel, according to Jacky (the photo at the end of this post was taken in Switzerland during 1987); and Ed was working as production comptroller for G.E. when he died at the age of 50 on Jan. 22, 1993. He was buried near his father in the Chariton Cemetery after funeral services in Chicago.

Cliff remained close to Ed's mother, Genevieve, Jacky told me when we visited Monday. Genevieve died during 2007, and it was her wish, as well as his, that his remains be buried when the time came in a spot set aside for them just south of Ed's grave.

Cliff continued to live in the Elmwood Park home the men had shared for the next 25 years, until his own death during July of 2018.

And last week, after sorting out his estate, Jacky arranged for Cliff's ashes to be buried here next to Ed --- accompanied by a bouquet of fresh roses tied with a ribbon emblazoned, "Partner." The men had been together for 20 years when Ed died, Jacky said; their relationship endured, in life and in death, for more than 45.







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