Clampitt Family History

The Clampitt companies that owned the wells in and above Elsmere Canyon and in the Tunnel Area, are long gone. Edward A. Clampitt first founded them with his brother Don joining him later. The Clampitt family, especially Leah, one of Edward's daughters, led some very interesting lives. I could find very little information on how the Clampitt brothers became wealthy after coming to California. They must have worked hard and got lucky in the oil business. They owned wells in Kern Country and Los Angeles. They both died young - Don at 38 and Edward at 49.

Edward, the older brother, was born in Illinois on December 14, 1868. He came to California in 1888 or 1889. On September 25, 1919, Edward died from cancer of the liver, which he suffered with for 6 months (from his death certificate located by Scott Frank). He was buried in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. In 1921, a Clampitt mausoleum was apparently constructed because that's the year Edward's remains were placed in the mausoleum.

Don was born in Kansas on November 7, 1876. He came to California in about 1895. Around 1902, he contracted tuberculosis. In 1913, he moved with his family to Banning, California. There, he entered the Southern Sierras Sanatorium to get treatment with Dr. L. M. Ryan. On May 7, 1914, he died of pulmonary tuberculosis (according to his death certificate). He was also buried in the Inglewood Park Cemetery. For some reason, Don was not transferred to the Clampitt mausoleum after it was constructed.

Edward Clampitt was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1906 and served three years. He was at one time a member of the Republican State Central Committee, the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Mines and Oils, the Los Angeles Athletic Club, and the Elks Club. He became such an important person that at his funeral, the governor of California and the mayor of Los Angeles were honorary pallbearers. In honor of his public service, the city hall flag was placed at half mast. I found a short biography of him which I have included below the following chart and a longer biography at the bottom of the page.

Edward had two daughters - Leah Margaret and Barbara Hallam. When Edward died they would inherit a lot of money when they turned 21. They would become "oil heiresses", never needing to work. Barbara would marry at least four times. Leah would marry at least five times (including one annulment). I say “at least” because the LA Times credits them with an extra marriage that I could find no documentation for.

Leah’s life would include a sensational wife swapping trial, a possible fling with Buster Keaton, a near-death in a plane crash, and having her husband involved in a murder trial. She had no children. She died in 1968 at the Los Angeles Good Samaritan Hospital. From her death certificate (thanks again to Scott Frank), her cause of death was "myocardial insufficiency" (suffered from for 2 hours), with a contributing cause of "arteriosclerotic heart" (suffered from for 2 years). She also has an "other condition: intestinal obstruction" (a blocked bowel?).

Barbara’s life was not as “exciting” as Leah’s, but she did have one child. Unfortunately, he died in 1969 before she did at the age of 35. Barbara died in 1984 in Hawaii.

Don had one son - Cecil. He died in July of 1974.

The following is a summary of what I found out about their family history. My main sources were old Los Angeles Times articles, but I also used ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and a few other sources . Many of the events have date ranges because I could find no exact date.

       Color Key
  Parents of E.A. and D.L. Clampitt
  E.A. Clampitt
  D.L., Eunice, and Cecil Clampitt
  Leah Clampitt
  Barbara Clampitt
  Clampitt Family History
   
11/29/1859 James Albert Clampitt (born 6/2/1838) and Elma Badgeley (born 8/14/1838) married in St. Clair, Illinois. She was the daughter of Judge Badgeley.
   
12/14/1869 E. A. Clampitt born in Decatur, Macon County, Illinois. to James Albert Clampitt and Elma Badgeley Clampitt. His name went through some changes. In the 1870 US Census (7/26/1870) he was Anthony E. with an age of 5/12 implying he was born in early 1870. The Kansas State Census of 1875 (3/1/1875) calls him Edgar with an age of 5. The 1880 US Census (6/21/1880) calls him Edward with an agee of 9. The 1900 US Census (6/4/1900) has him as Edward with the birth year of 1870. The 1910 US Census (4/19/1910) has him as Edward A. with an age of 40. The bio at the bottom of the page says he was born in 1868.
   
11/17/1875 D. L. Clampitt born in Kansas to James and Elma Clampitt. In the 1880 US Census (6/21/1880) he was called Donn with an age of 4. In the 1900 US Census (6/14/1900) he is listed as Don L. born in Nov. of 1875. In the 1910 US Census (5/5/1910) he is erroneously listed as John J. I guess that John sounds like Don, but he is listed as being married to the correct person (Eunice E.) with the correct son (Cecil W.) in the right place (Los Angeles) with the right ages.
   
1888 or 1889 E.A. Clampitt comes to California and would become involved in the oil industry
   
1895 James Albert Clampitt and his wife Elma (parents of E.A. and Don) and Don come to Los Angeles from Bellville, Illinois.
   
9/8/1897 E.A. Clampitt marries Margaret M. Wright in Los Angeles
   
4/28/1900 Don L. Clampitt marries Eunice Ella Martin in Los Angeles. His occupation is listed as a driller in the 1900 US census. Eunice was born on 9/11/1877.
   
3/15/1904 Cecil Wayne Clampitt born, son of Don and Eunice.
   
1906 E.A. Clampitt elected to the LA city council from the 2nd ward and served 3 years 
   
1907-1912 E.A. and D.L. Clampitt buy out the Alpine Oil and Santa Ana Oil Company holdings in the Elsmere area of the Newhall Oil Field. In the tunnel area just southwest of the Elsmere area they buy out the Commercial Oil Company, the Pearl Oil Company, the Zenith Oil Company, the Eureka Crude Oil Company, and the Squaw Flat Oil Company.
   
5/26/1907 Leah Margaret Clampitt born, daughter of E.A. and Margaret Clampitt
   
7/26/1910 Clampitt brothers sold 130 acres of oil land in the Newhall district to the London Petroleum Company for $100,000. LPC then leased it to the Ventura Oil and Development Company (LA Times). However, Prutzman (Petroleum in Southern California, 1913) reports that the purchase was never completed and that the leases were being operated by the Ventura Oil and Development Company, an affiliated company of the LPC but still owned by the Clampitts.
   
11/21/1911 Barbara Hallam Clampitt born, daughter of E.A. and Margaret Clampitt
   
5/7/1914 Don L. Clampitt dies at age of 38 of tuberculosis in Banning, California (11/17/1875-5/7/1914).
   
1914-1930 Widowed Eunice moves to Arizona with Cecil. She and Cecil are on the 1920 US Census from Pima County, Arizona. She would marry Fisher Rockefeller in 1921. On the 1930 US census she is still in Pima County, Arizona. Fisher's occupation is listed as optometrist.
   
9/26/1919 E.A. Clampitt dies at age of 49 of liver cancer (12/14/1869-9/26/1919). Was the head of the E.A. Clampitt Company. He leaves a widow, Margaret M. Clampitt, two daughters, Leah, 11 years old and Barbara, 7, as well as his parents, a brother Lyman A. Clampitt of San Fernando, and two sisters, Mrs Laura McBride of Independence, Kan, and Mrs. Nancy Rankin of LA (LA Times).
   
9/29/1919 E. A. Clampitt was buried today at the Inglewood Cemetary. In honor of his public service, an escort of policeman, headed by the chief of police Home, accompanied the cortege from the Clampitt home to the cemetary. Governor Stephens was an honorary pallbearer. The city hall flag was placed at half mast (LA Times).
   
10/1/1919 Income from the estate of E.A. Clampitt was estimated at $20,000 a year. The value of the estate was not given. The will states that the estate should be equally divided between his wife, Margaret, and two daughters, Leah and Barbara. If either of the daughters was not of age at the time of the distribution, her share will be held in trust by Mrs. Clampitt until the daughter reached the age of 21 (LA Times).
   
6/12/1923 Major fire put out on the property of the Clampitt Oil Company between the Newhall Pass and Newhall (LA Times).
   
3/10/1925 Mrs. Elma Badgley Clampitt, 82, died  (8/14/1838-3/10/1925). She was the mother of Edward A. Clampitt, who died in 1919. She leaves a husband, James A. Clampitt, two daughters, Mrs. Nancy Rankin and Mrs. Laura McBride; two sons, Lyman Asbury and Don L. Clampitt all of Los Angeles. Leah and Barbara Clampitt, daughters of E.A. Clampitt, are grand-daughters (LA Times). A problem - Don died in 1914.
   
4/1/1925 Leah Clampitt married to Thomas K. Mitchusson (husband # 1)
   
10/1/1926 James Albert Clampitt dies in Los Angeles (6/2/1838-10/1/1926). He was husband to Elma Badgley Clampitt and father to E.A, Lyman, Don, Mrs. Laura McBride, and Mrs. Nancy Rankin.
   
2/1/1927 Leah Clampitt divorced from Thomas K. Mitchusson
   
10/1/1927 Thomas Mitchusson files suit against Margaret Clampitt, Leah's mother, for $50,000 in damages claiming that the mother alienated the affections of his wife. In the suit, the mother was charged with interferring with the marriage and encouraged her to associate with John Kelly, who was named a co-defendent in the suit, and induced her to sue for divorce. Mrs. Clampitt denied all charges (LA Times).
   
4/11/1928 The wedding of Leah Clampitt and John Howard Kelly (husband # 2) will take place in the near future it was announced (LA Times).
   
9/18/1928 Margaret M. Clampitt, widow of E. A. Clampitt, dies (1873-9/18/1928). She was the mother of Leah M. Kelly and Barbara Helen Clampitt. Her estate was estimated at $1,000,000 and was to be divided equally between her two daughters (From the LA Times).
   
2/7/1930 A year before her death Mrs. Margaret M. Clampitt had given her two daughters (Mrs. Leah Clampitt Kelly and Miss Barbara Clampitt) a gift of $600,000. The State Tax Commission claims that it is taxable because Mrs. Clampitt was expecting death when she made the gift and is therefore taxable. They filed suit in superior court to obtain the $35,000 tax on the $600,000. The sisters testified that after they received the gift, Mrs. Clampitt toured Europe by airplane and gave other evidence that she did not consider death imminent (LA Times).
   
1931 Leah Clampitt divorces J. Howard Kelly and marries Beverly Hills millionaire yachtman Barton Sewell (husband # 3)
   
9/12/1933 Barbara Clampitt marries millionaire Morrison Morrison (husband # 1).
   
12/10/1934 At a Malibu beach party Leah Sewell, handcuffed to a bed, had sex with one-time film actor Walter Emerson while Leah's husband Barton had sex with Mrs. Emerson
   
1/1935 (1) Walter Emerson files for divorce naming Barton Sewell as corespondent. He and Mrs. Emerson separated on December 16. (2) Barton Sewell files an answer contending that his association with Mrs. Emerson had been condoned by Mr. Emerson. (3) Mrs. Emerson files a cross-complaint for divorce asserting that her relationship with Barton Sewell had been with her husband's knowledge and consent and through his own connivance. The complaint also accused Emerson with indiscretions with Mrs. Sewell. (4) Mr. Emerson files an answer to his wife's cross-complaint denying all contentions. (5) Mrs. Sewell files a damage suit against Mrs. Emerson claiming that Mrs. Emerson induced Mr. Sewell to have an intimate relationship which humiliated, injured, and damaged Mrs. Sewell (LA Times).
   
2/29/1935 Divorce trial begins in Los Angeles Superior Court. Although denied by the court this first time, eventually, the Emersons would be divorced in March of 1936.
   
7/4/1935 Comedian Buster Keaton and his wife Mae were spending some time in Santa Barbara. In the afternoon Mae paid an unannounced visit to Leah Clampitt Sewell's room. She was also in Santa Barbara at the time. Mae found Leah and Buster naked in bed together. She returned to their home in Cheviot Hills. He spent the rest of the week with Leah.  He continued to see Leah. FInally, she filed a divorce suit on the grounds of adultery naming Leah Sewell corespondent. She also filed a $200,000 alienation-of-affections action against Mrs. Sewell. Sewell countersued denying all charges. Keaton responded and denied all allegations. Sewell claimed she was asleep with her clothes on and Buster, as a joke, made a running jump on the bed just as his wife walked into the room - it was just a gag. By the time the case came to court on October 4, she had dropped Sewell as correspondent and settled for grounds of cruelty. Since Buster did not appear in court, the decree was granted by default. (From "Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase" by Marion Meade, De Capo Press, 1997)
   
8/1935 Leah suing for divorce from Barton Sewell with Mrs. Emerson as a co-respondent
   
10/19/1935 A divorce was granted today in Las Vegas to Mrs. Leah Clampitt Sewell from Barton Sewell. Sewell would later marry Mrs. Emerson on 3/24/1936 only hours after she obtained a Nevada divorce. He would die on 1/7/1953 from an accidental overdose of seditives. 
   
4/4/1936 A divorce was granted to Mrs. Barbara Clampitt Morrison from Morrison Morrison. She accepted $100 monthly support for her son Edward Louis, two years of age, in lieu of the $1,000,000 trust fund she had originally demanded. They had separated on 2/26/1936 (LA Times).
   
12/6/1936 Leah Clampitt Sewell marries musical comedy actor and songwriter Charles Kaley (husband #4). 
   
2/31/1937 Leah Sewell Kaley narrowly escaped death in a plane crash when the Waco biplane she was riding in somersaulted on the outskirts of Lindbergh Field in San Diego. She is being treated for a fractured vertebra, shock, bruises, and abrasions. The pilot suffered no injuries. The other passengers suffered some minor injuries. Mrs. Kaley separated from her husband on 1/3/1937 and plans to file an annulment suit (LA Times).
   
4/6/1937 Mrs. Leah Clampitt Sewell Kaley was granted an annulment today in the Oakland Superior Court from Charles Kaley. She pictured herself as a kissless bride asserting that Kaley left her the day after the marriage. Kaley did not contest the case (LA Times).
   
6/16/1939 Mrs. Barbara Clampitt Morrison, oil heiress, married socially prominent William Jones (husband # 2) in Laguna Beach today. They plan to live in Beverly Hills. She has a 5 year old son Edward Louis Morrison (LA Times).
   
1941-1954 Mrs. Barbara Clampitt Jones divorces Willam Jones somewhere between 1941 and 1950
   
1941-1954 Barbara Clampitt marries movie screenwriter William Conselman (husband # 3) somewhere between 1950 and 1954 (Conselman got a divorce from his previous wife in 1950)
   
1/7/1954 Mrs Barbara Clampitt Counselman divorces William Counselman on ground he drank heavily and beat her repeatedly.
   
1940-1954 Leah Clampitt Sewell marries Edgar (also sometimes named Edward) Neely, a Beverly Hills oilman (husband # 5)
   
6/28/1954 Beverly Hills oilman Ed Neely, husband of Leah Clampitt, and originally from Texas, shot movie stuntman Phillip E. Ahlm after Ahlm made derogatory statements about Texas, made fun of his Texas accent, and allegedly made advances toward his wife. This took place at an all night drinking party in the home of Barbara Clampitt, sister of Leah. Ahlm is in serious condition with two gunshot wounds. Neely was booked at the Hollywood Division jail for assault with the intent to commit murder. (LA Times)
   
7/5/1954 Phillip Ahlm, seemingly improving each day, suddenly died during the night from, according to an autopsy, peritonitis due to a gunshot wound of the abdomen. Ed Neely was then re-arrested and charged on suspicion of murder. He was later freed on bail. On 7/7 he was formally charged with murder and returned to jail without bail. (LA Times)
   
11/16/1954 Ed Neely cleared of the murder of Phillip Ahlm. The defense had cast doubt on the cause of death since Ahlm died while walking in the hospital after appearing to be getting better. (LA Times)
   
6/17/1960 Eunice Ella Martin Clampitt Rockefeller dies in Tucson, Arizona (1877-1960)
   
1955 - 1969 Barbara Clampitt Jones marries a Mr. Letourneur (husband # 4) possibly in Hawaii.
   
10/1/1968 Mrs. Leah Clampitt Neely dies (5/26/1907-10/1/1968). Sister of Barbara Clampitt Letourneur, Aunt of Edward L. Morrison. Services at the Chapel of the Chimes, Inglewood Cemetary (LA Times).
   
9/17/1969 Edward Louis (Skip) Morrison dies. He was the son of Barbara Clampitt Letourneur and Morrison Morrison (LA Times)
   
7/1974 Cecil W. Clampitt dies in Arizona (1904-1974). He was the only child of Don and Eunice.
   
10/11/1984 Barbara Letourneur dies in Honolulu, Hawaii (11/21/1911 - 10/11/1984). Services were at the Inglewood Park Cemetary in Los Angeles. She was placed in the Clampitt Mausoleum. (LA Times)



1870 US Census (taken 7/26/1870) from Macon County, Illinois. Shows James A. Clampitt, Elma, Nancy, Asbury (Lyman's middle name), Laura A., and Anthony E.


1875 Kansas State Census (taken 3/1/1875) from Linn County, Kansas. Shows James Clampitt, Elma, Nancy, Lyman, Laura, and Edgar. Very nice handwriting for a change.


1880 US Census (taken 6/21/1880) from Linn County, Kansas. Shows James Clampitt, Elma, Nannie (Nancy), Paulina (?), Laura, Edward, and Donn. Edward's name kept changing. Here is the first appearance of Don (Donn). Son Lyman has evidently struck out on his own (dying in 1939). If he was 12 in 1875, then he would be 17 in 1880.


This story is from the San Francisco Call of August 3, 1910. Prutzman (Petroleum in Southern California, 1913) reported that the purchase was never completed.

Clampitt Family Oil Companies

The following information came from the California Oil Fields Summary of Operations of the Division of Oil and Gas for the years shown. The first publication was for 1915-16 because the DOG was created in 1915. Only companies (private and public) that had oil production were listed. It includes both the Clampitt Kern County and the Los Angeles County oil wells. After 1964, this information was no longer published in the Summary of Operations (which later became the Annual Report). I do not know what finally happened to the E.A. Clampitt Company but it was probably purchased by another oil company.

Before 1915, the Clampitts already owned 29 well in Los Angeles County (McLaughlin, Bull. 69, 1914). Eventually, the Clampitt companies would own scores of wells in both Los Angeles and Kern counties.


1915 - "E.A. and D.L. Clampitt"

1916 - "E.A. and D.L. Clampitt", "E.A. Clampitt"

1921 - "E.A. Clampitt (estate of)", "E.A. and D.l. Clampitt", "Margaret Clampitt"

1924 - "Margaret M. Clampitt (E.A. Clampitt Co.", "Margaret M. and Eunice E. Clampitt" [Eunice is Don Clampitt's widow]

1930 - "Leah and Barbara Clampitt", "Margaret M. and Eunice E. Clampitt"

1932 - "Leah and Barbara Clampitt", "Margaret M. and Eunice E. Clampitt", "E.A. Clampitt"

1934 - "Barbara Clampitt and Leah C. Sewell", "E.A. Clampitt Co.", "E.A. and D.L. Clampitt"

1938 - "Barbara Clampitt and Leah C. Sewell"

1941 - "Leah C. Sewell and Barbara C. Jones"

1947 - "Leah C. Sewell and Barbara C. Jones", "E.A. Clampitt Co."

1949 - "E.A. Clampitt Co. partnership with Leah C. Sewell and Barbara C. Jones", "E.A. Clampitt Co."

1953 - "E.A. Clampitt Co."

1957 - "E.A. Clampitt Co."

1964 - "E.A. Clampitt Co."

Clampitt was not one of the more popular councilmen. He often missed, or was late to, council meetings and he frequently ignored oil field regulations. This article refers to an oil sump that he was suppose to clean up but didn't. (Los Angeles Evening Express of March 14, 1907)

This is E.A. Clampitt's bold signature on an oil related document from 1917.

His death certificate (located by Scott Frank) states that E.A. died from cancer of the liver, which he had suffered with for 6 month. From the Los Angeles Times of September 27, 1919

Clampitt was wealthy. His wife and daughters would never have to work. From the Los Angeles Times of October 10, 1919.

This biography is from "A History of California and an Extended History of Los Angeles and Environs, Biographical, Volume III" by James Miller Guinn, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, Cal., 1915, pp. 887-888

The following biography is from "Los Angeles From the Mountains to the Sea, Volume III" by John Steven McGroarty, The American Historical Society, Chicago and New York, 1921, pp. 716-718 (the two photos at the top of the page also came from this book)

Another biography from California and Californians, Volumn IV, Edited by Rockwell D. Hunt, 1932, The Lewis Publishing Company, Los Angeles.

Also from California and Californians is this biography of Margaret Clampitt.

The Beverly Hillbillies

Was Jed Clampett of TV's Beverly Hillbillies named with E.A. Clampitt in mind? It is certainly possible. An article ("Capping an era of L.A. exploration") in the Los Angeles Times of January 9, 2012, written by Bob Pool, brings up this idea. Here is part of the story:
One of the first eager young oil hunters to join the Doheny rush was Edward A. Clampitt, who had arrived in Los Angeles in 1888. He is listed in state records as the operator responsible for the five wells at the corner of Glendale Boulevard and Rockwood Street.

Although state oil well records are sketchy before 1915, Clampitt's wells are believed to have been sunk before 1900. Later he would own oil-producing land in the Newhall Pass area and serve on the Los Angeles City Council.

Petroleum geologist Dale Kunitomi, who has studied Southern California oil fields since 1967, is among those who are convinced that Clampitt and his colorful family were the inspiration for the Clampett clan in the CBS TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies." It ran from 1962 to 1971 and starred Buddy Ebsen as family patriarch Jed Clampett.

"I went to Belmont High School in the early 1960s, and you would see Clampitt Oil Co. signs on oil field installations up there," Kunitomi said. "I said to myself: So the 'Beverly Hillbillies' are real!"

1928

1930

1935

1937

2-25-1935 newspaper photograph of Leah and her sister Barbara. Caption on back: Mrs. Leah Clampitt Sewell, co-respondent in a cross-complaint filed by Mrs. Jane Emerson, in the sensational "love-quadrangle" divorce case in Los Angeles courts, and Mrs. Sewell's sister, Mrs. Barbara Morrison (right) as they appeared during sessions. Asked about her part in the asserted wife trading episode, in which, according to Mrs. Emerson's complaint, she was indiscreet with Walter Emerson, Mrs. Sewell declared: "I never kissed Mr. Emerson there or elsewhere."


2-26-1935 newspaper photograph of Leah. Caption on back: In Tangled Marital Skein - While new details of an alleged "wife trading" were unfolded in Los Angeles Court, Mrs. Leah Clampitt Sewell, one of the participants in the asserted "swap" of wives waited to be called to the witness stand. Walter Emerson, actor, is suing his wife, Mrs. Jane Emerson, for divorce and names Barton Sewell, Beverly Hills millionaire, as co-respondent. Mrs. Emerson has filed a cross complaint and names Mrs. Sewell. Then to complicate the whole affair still further, Mrs. Sewell has sued Mrs. Emerson for $100,000. Photo shows Mrs. Leah Clampitt Sewell as she appeared in court.


7-19-1935 newspaper photographs of Leah. Caption on back: From one court to another. Here are three courtroom studies of Mrs. Leah Clampitt Sewell, termed the champion sued and suing woman of Los Angeles. With a long record of suits behind here, right now she is involved in two new cases. Today she is fighting in court to have a receiver appointed for the $28,000,000 trust fund of her estranged husband, Barton Sewell. She is also preparing to defend herself in a $200,000 damage suit in which Mrs. Buster Keaton charges she stole the comedian's love.


3-4-1936 newspaper photograph of Barbara. Like Leah, Barbara's divorces were also newsworthy. Caption on back: Sensational developments came thick and fast today in "The Battle of Millions" divorce action brought by Mrs. Barbara Clampitt Morrison against her husband Morrison Morrison, both socially prominent. Mrs. Morrison in her complaint asked that Morrison pay $25,000 in fees to her counsel. She said she required $5000 a month for the support of herself and child. Morrison asserts that his net worth is only $1700, that he is unemployed and that he has no income. He asked that his wife be compelled to pay $25,000 as fees to his attorneys.


Here is the Clampitt Mausoleum at the Inglewood Park Cemetary in Inglewood, California, on 2/9/2008 when I visited it. Resting here are:

Edward A. Clampitt (5/31/1921)
Margaret M. Clampitt (9/20/1928)
Harry Thomas Johnson (10/2/1943)
Rachael Alta Johnson (2/27/1951)
Edgar Allen Neely (7/27/1967)
Leah Clampitt Neely (10/3/1968)
Edward Louis Morrison (9/18/1969)
Barbara Clampitt Letourneur (ashes-cremated elsewhere) (10/26/1984)

E. A. died in 1919. The interment record states that he was placed here on 5/31/1921 from a different vault ("#674 from rec. vlt. #48"). This mausoleum must have been built in 1921. Harry Johnson (1875-1943) was the brother-in-law of E.A. He married Rachael, the sister of Margaret Clampitt in 1899. In 1906, he became associated with The E.A. Clampitt company and when E.A. died in 1919, he succeeded him as president and general manager of the company, holding that position until his death. Edgar Neely was Leah's last husband. Edward Morrison was Barbara's son. Barbara was cremated in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she had died.

Don L. Clampitt is buried in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. Oddly, he wasn't moved into the Clampitt Mausoleum, also in that cemetery.