Audre Ann Clifton was born March 22, 1934, to Carl and Kate (Shelly) Lynner. Audre was born in Watford City, ND, and graduated from Watford City High School in 1952. In 1986 she received her bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Dickinson State University.
On June 10, 1952, she married William (Bill) Clifton. They started their life together on a small farm north of Grassy Butte, ND. They worked side by side in numerous business ventures throughout the local area starting with Clifton’s Mercantile, a small grocery store in Grassy Butte. They moved to Watford City, ND in 1962 when they purchased the Fairway Foods grocery Store. Over the years they owned several businesses, including the Lakeway Truckstop and Café and concluding with the PDQ Bar and Supper Club in Arnegard, ND. Audre spent her subsequent years doing tax preparation, accounting work and traveling the United States visiting her siblings, children and grandchildren until her retirement in 2010.
Audre enjoyed crocheting, sewing, cooking, reading, and family gatherings. In her later years, one of her favorite pastimes was researching family history, collecting and curating family photo albums and documents. In 1995 she accepted Jesus Christ as her savior and enjoyed fellowship with Him and her church family.
At heart, Audre was a caregiver. She took in her grandson, Brandon, for four years so he could attend high school at Johnson Corners Christian Academy. She also took in her mother, Kate, in the later years of her life.
Audre is survived by her daughters, Laura Goff , of Greeley CO, Nita (Lyle) Flatland, of Watford City; sons, James (Brenda), of West Fargo, ND and Thomas (Suzanne) of Little Rock, AR; eleven grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren; sisters, Rachel Machuta, of San Bernardino, CA, Margaret (Don) Sparks, of Clio, MI, and Linda (Bill) Mead of Ocean Shores, WA; brothers, Neil Lynner, of Bend, OR, William (Mary) Lynner, of Pasco, WA; sister-in-law, June Lynner of Watford City, ND, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband, William; parents, Carl and Kate Lynner; brothers, Jesse Lynner, Carl Lynner, Clifford Lynner; sister, Jean Lynner; father and mother-in-law, Thomas and Lena (Barkema) Clifton; sisters-in-law Ethel (Clifton) Okland, Lenore Lynner, Alta Mae (Robert) Pulfrey; brothers-in-law, Clifford Okland, Donald Clifton, and Jim Machuta.