Raphael Clement Biography

His Life and Family, 1899-1955

Written and Compiled by Barbara Clement Wright, March 2002

PREFACE

"...It will be thy duty and thy privilege to go forward as a missionary teaching the truth among kindred and the nations of the world."

(From Patriarchal Blessing of Raphael Clement, March 5, 1924)

***

Raphael Clement fully intended to write his own life history because that is what he always believed, promoted and taught. But in his prime, at age 54, he became ill with terminal pancreatic cancer. Two years later when he knew he was going to die, he sadly said, "Now my grandchildren won't know me." 

Raphael Clement, spring 1953

We, as Raphael and Pearl Olsen Clement's nine living children and their spouses have each contributed writings in Raphael's biography, telling what we know about him, for the express purpose that his posterity WILL come to know their grandfather, great-grandfather and ancestor, Raphael Clement.

During his middle life, Raphael was active in doing genealogy - from consistently gathering data for extended family members, to promoting personal and family history writing. 

Raphael was appointed President of the Clement family genealogy society and Historian in about 1939 or 1940 while living in Utah. Because the genealogy responsibility overlapped his stake missionary call in Taylorsville from 1942-3, and then as Yakima District Mission President in Washington state from 1945 to September 22, 1949, Raphael did not have much time to devote to genealogy work during those years. But after his release from his mission in 1949, he dived headlong into it. He found great joy in doing genealogical work, and after he was called as Stake Patriarch in 1950, he continued with it throughout the early 1950's.

We know that Raphael loved the gospel of Jesus Christ with

all his heart, and worked hard doing everything he could to further the Lord's kingdom upon the earth. Along with dedication to his callings, he believed in and paid a full tithing and fast offering, ward budget, etc. He took his wife, Pearl, on regular ward Temple excursions to the Idaho Falls Temple and the Cardston, Alberta, Canada Temple while they lived in Richland, Washington. Natives of Utah, they frequented the temples there.

We  put forth this biography of our father, Raphael Clement with the hope that it will do him justice, giving an honest and correct picture of him to the best of our knowledge and ability, by way of each of our personal experiences with him.

A warm "Thank You" to everyone for the well written and heartfelt contributions about our dad. They serve as a colorful picture of Raphael's character and personality, and of the deep love, respect and gratitude each one possess for this dear man. The gospel teaches us that we must master ourselves and become Christ-like. Raphael truly accomplished that challenge in his short turn on earth. He set the example of Christ-like living for his family.

—BCW