The Gospel of Jesus Christ and the RLDS Church were very
important to Gene. He served under
General Church Appointment as the superintendent of the Department of Recreation
and Expression and the General Church Youth Leader.
He was also a High Priest in Lamoni for many years.
Gene ministered to many people over the years and was very active in the
business of the church.
Even though he would often ask God to spare him from some
religious experiences, he would have them anyway. The reason he wanted to be spared is that they always meant
more responsibility. The Church and
his experiences in it, and because of it, contributed greatly to the direction
his life took. The Holy Spirit
definitely served as his “comforter” the last few years during his time of
severe illness, and helped him to develop a philosophy regarding dying, that
helped him, as well as the rest of his family.
Gene was very close to his friends and family.
He had a way of getting real close with a few people.
The people fortunate enough to have that kind of relationship with him
considered themselves very lucky. His
association with students over the years as their teacher, counselor and friend
earned him the affectionate titles of “Double E”, “Doc” and even a few
called him “Pop”.
Many people through the years have been drawn to Gene, as
he was drawn to them. Gene had a
very big personality. People liked
to be around him because he had so much energy and charisma.
He was very confident and sure of himself, but he was also very humble
and never very “impressed with himself”.
He was always the focal point of his family.
They all looked to him for advice and counsel on most major decisions,
even as adults. (Engagement to Ellie story).
Anyone who knew the family members very well at all, know that they were
all very capable and willing to make their own decision.
However, they always felt good about talking things over with Gene. If they didn’t want to take his advice, that was all right
with him.
Patriot – Soldier – Citizen – Participator
Gene was a true patriot.
When the call came for men to go to war in 1917, Gene heeded the call and
joined the Army. Preferring not to
kill others, he requested duty as a medic and was assigned to the ambulance
company in the 110 Sanitary Train Medical Corps. He served his country as a medic in the trenches of France in
World War One.
He enjoyed politics very much and felt that to be a good
citizen, a person had to understand politics.
He considered himself a “Harry Truman Democrat” and had visited
Truman in his home when Truman was still a Senator.
He believed in Social Security and Welfare programs to help those
in need.
He was always involved in the communities around him.
He epitomized a “good citizen”.
Gene’s youngest son, Jim, recounts that as a young man, his dad
explained the importance of political affiliation, saying “Jim, you should get
involved and be active in politics… even if it means being a Republican!”
One time, a man came over to Gene’s house from the Sale
Barn across the street and asked Gene if he would be interested in running for
Iowa State Senate. Gene replied
“No thanks… I’d rather stay around Lamoni.”
Gene was one of
the first youth leaders in the Church. He
developed many programs and even wrote a book containing activities for the
youth called “The Game Book”. He
was also very socially active as a student and
faculty member of Graceland,
helping to create many social clubs and overseeing the social activities for
many years.
He was also very
dedicated to the sports programs at Graceland, attending events and counseling
the athletes. So much so, that in
1968, the college named it’s new physical education center after him. (The
Eugene E. Closson Physical Education Center).
In his personal
life, he also liked to entertain. He
liked having people over to the house and having lots of food and fun.
He was very optimistic and cheerful.
He had a sly and whimsical sense of humor.
College Administrator – Community
Leader – Role Model
Gene was very goal
oriented, but did not push it on others. When
he set his mind to something, nothing would stand in the way. He was a
leader at the college, both in the college administration and the social life of
the students. He was a leader in his community and in his church, always
willing to help others in need. He always lead by example.
Farmer – Gardener – Livestock
Owner
For many years, Gene owned and worked a farm consisting of cows, horses,
hogs, and chickens. He also always had large vegetables gardens, and even
late in his life, he could be found out in the garden, tending his
crops.
Traveler – Recruiter –
Missionary
Gene spent many
summers traveling across the country promoting both Graceland College and the
RLDS Church. He enjoyed meeting new
people and showing them what the college and church could offer them.
He was an “encourager”, always trying to get people involved.
Gene thoroughly
enjoyed teaching. And his students always
enjoyed his classes. Gene was a very open-minded person, always willing to
consider possibilities. This is a trait that he passed down to his
children and their children. He strongly believed in the importance of
education, both formal and informal.
Philosopher – Humanitarian –
Realist
Gene was very
content and happy with his life. He
was happy about who he was and did not need lots of material things to be happy.
He did enjoy getting new clothes and new cars, for what it did for him,
not to impress others. He was a
very frugal man, almost to a fault, but would literally give the shirt off his
back to someone in need. Gene lived
a very straight and narrow life. He
did not drink, smoke or swear, and advised other to avoid the same.
Theater Manager – Property Owner
– Landlord
Gene spent many
years managing the local movie house, the Coliseum. He took it from a run-down, sagging business and turned it into the
center of entertainment for the community and the college alike. He also owned
several different properties around town, at one point even owning the land that
the Sale Barn now sits on. Gene never worried about making a profit on his
land when he sold it, and always provided a good deal to the buyer.
What little time
he had left between the college, the church and the movie theater, he would
continuously improve his families house, adding a bedroom here, closing in a
porch there, taking the same two-room house that he and Judy bought in 1931 and
turning into a large home with room for the entire extended family. Through the years, many students, friends and relatives
shared the home with Gene and Judy. The
door was always open.
Son – Brother – Husband –
Father – Grandfather – Family Patriarch
Gene was a very good son and brother. He took care of his mother and
sisters his entire life, tending to them even in their last years. He was
a good husband to Judy and a good father to his children. However, when he
became a grandfather, he really found his niche. He was wonderful with his
grandchildren, and they all loved being with him. He has made an
impression on everyone he's ever known, especially his family. We all
carry a part of Gene with us in everything we do!!!
Revised:
04 September 2006.
