Kristi Lynn Savage-Clarke

Kristi Lynn Savage-Clarke,

61, of Ashland, Missouri, passed away on February 5, 2022, at University Hospital in Columbia with family by her side after suffering a tragic head injury on February 1. Kristi was born in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, on January 10, 1961, to Robert Neil Savage and Marlys Mae (McCutchan) Savage as the first of four children. Kristi grew up in Minnesota on the shores of Sandy Lake near Zimmerman and graduated from Princeton High School. After graduating from Moorhead State University (now Minnesota State University Moorhead) with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology in 1983, Kristi worked as an agricultural researcher in Texas and then North Dakota, before taking a job at the University of Missouri, where she taught classes and met her husband, Andrew Clarke. Kristi and Andrew wed on December 30, 1989, in the A.P. Green Chapel on the University of Missouri campus. The couple then moved to their home near Ashland, where they raised their three children, Alex, Maddie, and Liam. Kristi and Andrew lived in the same house for their entire marriage and recently celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary. While teaching at the University of Missouri she earned her master’s degree in Agronomy in 1995. When her children were young, Kristi worked as a tutor at Focus-On-Learning and substitute taught in Southern Boone County schools in Ashland. She later returned to the university as a research specialist for several years before she joined the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 2011, where she found a home for the rest of her career. Everywhere she worked, Kristi made deep and lasting friendships and connections with those around her. In her free time, Kristi was an avid quilter, gardener, and reader, plus she raised poultry to keep life interesting. She joined the Booneslick Trail Quilters’ Guild soon after moving to Missouri, where many lasting friendships and quilting projects were born. Her quilts for home, family, and coworkers have delighted all. Working in the gardens was her favorite outdoor hobby before she took up raising poultry (including chickens, ducks, turkeys, and some geese for good measure) while her children were in high school and the birds became her top outdoor priority. Beloved by the community, Kristi was dedicated to supporting the youth through years of volunteer service with Ashland Optimist Club, Southern Boone soccer, Ashland FFA, Englewood 4-H, and many other organizations her children were involved with over the years. Most recently, Kristi had taken up volunteering with the Boone County Historical Society and delighted in giving tours of the historic Maplewood House. If you knew Kristi, you know she loved fiercely and would do anything to help others. We mourn losing her so young and for those who will never know her one-of-a-kind vibrant spirit. We are glad to have had so many wonderful years with Kristi as a wife, mother, friend, coach, and mentor. We regret the fact that she will not be able to live to meet her future grandchildren, as we know she so looked forward to one day sharing her heart and love with them. Kristi is survived by her husband Andrew Douglas Clarke, three children, Alexander Savage Clarke, Madeline May Bloss (William), and William McCutchan Clarke, as well as her siblings Michelle Robin Fires (Richard) of Arkansas and Jason David Savage (Kelly) and Mack Robert Savage of Minnesota, as well as nieces, nephews, and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents. A public celebration of life will take place at the Ashland Optimist Club on February 12, 2022, at 9 a.m. with a program beginning at 10 a.m. A burial of ashes with close family members will occur at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the Boone County Historical Society (BooneHistory.org) or a charity of your choice.