WorldWide Drilling Resource®

To be noticed, give us a call: (850) 547-0102 or e-mail: wwdr@worldwidedrillingresource.com 12 FEBRUARY 2020 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® In Memoriam Donald Leo “Nick” Clifford (1921~2019) Donald Leo “Nick” Clifford passed away peacefully November 23, 2019, in Rapid City, South Dakota. Born in Pierre, his family moved to Keystone where he completed the required ten grades of school. He then got a job at the Etta Mine. At 17, he joined the crew carving Mount Rushmore where he worked for three years, first as a laborer and eventually winchman and drill crew member. During that time, he played on the Rushmore Memorial Baseball Team. He also served four years in the military during World War II. Nick was married to Betty from 1942 to 1966; they had three children: Bette, Karen, and Donald. He married Carolyn in 1974. During his lifetime, Nick owned a dry cleaning business, concessions at a state park, a restaurant, tobacco store, and an ice cream and sandwich shop. His lasting legacy began at age 79 when he was invited by the Concessionaire at Mount Rushmore to visit with tourists, answer questions, and sign his book, “Mount Rushmore Q & A”. He was the last surviving work- er from the team that carved Mount Rushmore. He was an honorary member of the Black Hills Chapter of the International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE), and was a featured speaker at the 31st Annual ISEE Conference. Nick is survived by Carolyn; daughters Karen and Kaye; son Donald; three grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; twin great-great-granddaughters; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. Gerald Johannes VanderLans (1933~2019) The WWDR Team was sad to learn of the passing of Gerald Johannes VanderLans on November 25, 2019. Born in Lisse, Holland, Gerald was the fourth of ten children. He grew up in Nazi-occupied Holland, surviving by his bravery and intelligence to provide food for his family. Being mechanically inclined, at the age of 14, he was able to disassemble an engine and successfully put it back together. When he was 19, he immigrated to Canada with his brothers to find a better life. There, he worked in the lumber industry. Eventually, he made his way to Lodi, California, where his girlfriend Sjaan had previously immigrated. After a brief courtship, they were married. Then after 25 years, their marriage ended, yet they remained close, lifelong friends. Gerald was a dairyman for a bit, then worked at Holz Rubber company where he learned the industry that would become his career. In the 1950s, Gerald developed a product line for testing underground pipelines and started Lansas Products, which he managed until his death. He is considered the father of the plug industry, holding many patents that became the cornerstone for the pipe testing industry. Gerald is survived by his children Adrian (Victor), Lillian (Steve), Gerald, and Eric VanderLans; grandchildren Noelle (Mark), Kim (Nick), Blake, Monica (Gentry), Kevin, Marissa, Jessica (Ryan), Jordan, Joseph (Nicole), Taylor, and Matthew; ten great- grandchildren; his Brother Jack (Kay), and sisters Ellie and Maria (Ivan). The management and staff of WWDR extend their condolences to Nick’s and Gerald’s family. Lest we forget...