Lawrence Clark

Longtime Anchorage resident Lawrence E. Clark, 94, known to many as the "Apple Man" died Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, at Providence Alaska Medical Center.

At his request, there will be no service. A celebration of life and visitation will be 2-4 p.m. Monday at Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel, 440 E. Klatt Road. During the visitation a light catered lunch will be provided. Private interment will be later.

He was born Sept. 1, 1915, in Springfield, Mo.

Lawrence came to Anchorage in the spring of 1942, during World War II, from Springfield. He was stationed at Elmendorf AFB with the Army Air Corps. During the war he was foreman of the fabrication welding shop on the base. It was at a recovery mission of an airplane at Lake Iliamna that he met Mary Seversen while boarding at Seversen's Roadhouse. They were married Feb. 3, 1945, and a long loving relationship developed.

After leaving the service, Lawrence and Mary became homesteaders on the hillside above Rabbit Creek in the early 1950s. The homestead proved to be too far out of town, so they sold and moved to lower Rabbit Creek in 1961, where he resided until his death.

There Lawrence started his saw blade business called ACME Enterprises. He sold saw blades to Anchorage businesses, oil companies and Native carvers. Also, during this time, he built two commercial buildings in Anchorage.

Besides being a businessman, his passion was experimenting with apple trees, root stock, different types of seeds, grafting and trying to find trees that would grow in Alaska. The result developed into an apple orchard of over 200 trees. He enjoyed sharing his vast knowledge and experience with others. His apples won many awards and ribbons at the Alaska State Fair. He was a member of the Alaska Fruit Growers Association.

Lawrence was preceded in death by his wife, Mary; her two daughters, Ellen Pike and Lorraine Johnson; brother, Cecil Clark; and sister, Virginia Carpenter.

He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Roy and Virginia of Missouri; sister, Mary Clark of Arkansas; numerous grandchildren, nephews, nieces, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alaska Fruit Growers Association, c/o Alice Brewer, Treasurer, 1201 W. 45th Ave., Anchorage, AK 99503.