Frances Lorene Buckles Clifford, 88 of Elizabethtown, died Sunday, September 17, 2017 at her home surrounded by her family. A child of the Depression, Frances lived a life of frugality. She remembered having two dresses and three pairs of socks during her school age years. She shared memories of accompanying her parents in the woods to dig may apple root to sell in order to have enough money to pay for a pair of shoes for the upcoming school year. Times were difficult but she stated many times that she didn't know she was poor. Her family lived simply, eating beans and cornbread, potatoes and biscuits on a regular basis. For Christmas, she remembered getting a piece of fruit and maybe some nuts in her stocking. As she grew older, she experienced the embarrassment of having very little. She remembered standing in a line of children in downtown E'town to receive a donated toy (a broken doll) as her only Christmas gift that year. As a teenager, she was able to earn money of her own. She babysat, cleaned and worked at Marcum's Dime Store and Kroger's downtown E'town. She eventually worked for Mr. Enoch at the Grand Theater and the State Theater where she was one of the first ticket ladies. She was courted by Paul Clifford who watched her admirably from the Pate Motor Company Auto Lot that was adjacent to the State Theater. After gaining enough courage, Paul asked her for a date and they were married in 1948. Frances was a proud 1947 graduate of Elizabethtown High School and Frances was one of the first nurse assistants at Hardin Memorial Hospital where she worked for 11 years. She continued her nursing career at Ireland Army, where she worked for 30 years, retiring in 1996. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Jennings Clifford in 2007; her parents, Roderick K. and Mary Generose Gore Buckles and one brother, Floyd Buckles. She is survived by three daughters, Jennifer Kaye Wilson and Paula Deana Lutz (John) all of Elizabethtown and Deborah Day (George) of Maysville; two brothers, James Buckles of Palmetto, FL and Thomas F. Buckles of Rineyville; five grandchildren, Kyle Clifford Day, Anna Elizabeth Day Sullinger, Frances Pauli Wilson, Brian Ashley Wilson and Charles Thomas Wilson; three great grandchildren, Austin Ryan Sullinger, Anderson Grant Sullinger and Emerson Lynn Elizabeth Day and many nieces and nephews. The funeral will be Thursday at 1 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home with Rev. Kevin Roberts officiating. Burial will follow in Hardin Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and continue after 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Elizabethtown Independent Schools Education Foundation, 219 Helm Street, Elizabethtown, KY 42701. Condolences may be expressed online at www.brownfuneral.com.

Visitation:

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Brown Funeral Home

Thursday, September 21, 2017 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Brown Funeral Home

Service:

Thursday, September 21, 2017 starting at 1:00 AM
Brown Funeral Home