Funeral services for Clarion Louis Popp will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Christ the King Catholic Church in Byron. Visitation will be at Christ the King from 5 to 8 p.m. today and one hour prior to the funeral service.

Mr. Popp, 73, of Byron, passed away on Monday, Dec. 24, 2012, at Fairview Care Center in Dodge Center, after battling Parkinson’s disease.

Clarion Louis Popp was born in Lakefield, on Dec. 17, 1939. He grew up farming in Lanesboro, and then graduated from Rochester High School in 1958. Clarion enlisted in the Navy in 1961 and later attended the U.S. Navy electrician’s school. He went on to graduate and become an electrician mate. He married Kathleen Jahns on Aug. 4, 1962, at St. Pius Catholic Church in Rochester. Later, Clarion served on the U.S.S. Intrepid-CVS 11, until 1966. He enjoyed fishing, helping others, and spending time with his family and faith.

In 1966, Clarion started working at IBM as an electrician. Between 1973 and 1984, he resided near Byron and was very dedicated to working full time at IBM, farming and raising his family. He transferred with IBM to Tucson, Ariz., in 1984 and relocated with his family for five years down to Arizona. He returned to Byron in 1989 and retired from IBM in 1996 after serving more than 30 years.

He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Kathy Popp of Byron; mother-in-law, Dorothy Jahns of Albert Lea; four children: son David (wife, Leann, children: Kenny, Katie, Kelly and Kevin) Popp of Campbell, Colo.; son Jeff (wife, Mauri, children: Jamie and Nathan) Popp of Castle Rock, Colo.; daughter Brenda (children, Sarah and Rachael) Ramirez of Round Lake, Ill.; and daughter Karen Popp of Dodge Center, (granddogs: Duncan, Sullivan and Addison); and sisters, Genevieve and Delores of Oregon. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Anna Popp, brother, Laurence Popp, and sisters, Anna, Delores, Mary and Vivian.

Burial (internment), with military honors, will be at Hillcrest Cemetery in Albert Lea, at 2 p.m. following the funeral service and luncheon.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Macken Funeral Home, 1105 12th Street SE, Rochester, MN. Online condolences are welcome at mackenfuneralhome.com.