John Clark, son of Abram and Catherine Clark, was born September 30, 1803 in Canada (believed to be the Brockville area). On December 28, 1831 John married Amy Snider. The parents of Amy are not known. Amy was born November 28, 1813. She had a brother, Ruben Snider, who married Maria Forkner. (see item on the William Forkner Family).

John and Amy's marriage certificate states that both were from Elizabethtown township, in the Johnstown District. The marriage was solemnized by Ezra Healy, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada in the presence of Anthony Wood and George Chipman.

John and Amy and their family (7 children at the time) came to Lena, Stephenson County, Illinois in 1851 overland in covered wagons from the Brockville area of Canada through western New York, Perm., Ohio, and Indiana with several other families. One family was Ruben and Maria Snider.

John and Amy engaged in farming in Illinois. On April 19, 1856 John Clark became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He had gone before the court an alien born, free white person October 23, 1852 to declare his intent to become a citizen of the United States.

Amy passed away March 14, 1869 in Waddams township (Lena area) and is buried in the Lena Cemetery. John passed away at the home of his son, William, at Paullina, O'Brien County, Iowa on March 28, 1890. The following is John's obituary: DIED. In Paullina, Iowa, March 28, 1890, John Clark, father of W. F. Clark, at the age of 86 years, 5 months and 28 days. The deceased was born at Elizabethtown, county of Leeds, Canada West, September 30, 1803. He united with the M.E. Church in the year 1817 at the place he was born, and was married to Amy Snyder December 28, 1831 in Canada West. He moved from Canada to Illinois in 1849 and settled 12. miles ..north of Freeport, in Stephenson County where he continued to reside until about fifteen year ago when he moved to Ashton, Illinois, with his son, W. F. Clark, and about five years ago he came to Paulina. He was always a consistent Christian and a student of the Bible, and since he united with the church when 12 years of age, he has read the Holy Scriptures through one hundred and fifty times. He had six sons and three daughters, all of whom but one daughter, are now living. The funeral services were held Sunday and the remains were laid to rest in Union Cemetery, (end of obituary) Grave Records in the Historical Library in Des Moines gives the cemetery as Prairie .View at Paulina, Lot 251.

Note the two dates for John and Amy coming to Illinois. It is not known which is correct. Canada West is what is now known as Ontario, Canada.