Friends, family, and the community of Tollesboro mourn the loss of Clinton Keith Applegate on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Clinton died peacefully at home after a courageous battle with ALS.
Clinton was born in Maysville on October 23, 1957, a son of Billy Gene Applegate and the late Donna Lou Tully Applegate.
He grew up in the Pine Valley community of Lewis County and graduated from Tollesboro High School. Clinton was a dairy, beef, and tobacco farmer, and fence builder. He was known to leave many young men in the dust in the tobacco patch come cutting time and on the softball field. He was always surrounded by family, friends, and neighbors, whether it was swimming at the family pond on Sunday afternoons in the summer or tubing down the hills of Pine Valley in the winter. He enjoyed his annual hunting trip out west.
After marrying his high school sweetheart, Nickie Thomas in 1979 and becoming a father to Trevor Howard and Travis Hinton, he tried to instill his love of farming, hard work ethic, and generosity in his sons. Summers were spent touring the local dairy shows with his boys and cattle in tow, the end goal being a week’s vacation spent in the livestock barn at the Kentucky State Fair. He loved that week spent with friends and fellow dairy farmers. Another love of Clinton’s was the Tollesboro Lions Club. He was a Lions Club member for 33 years and held numerous positions including President and Fair Board Chairman. He spent many all-nighters working tractor pulls, sometimes not getting home until morning milking time. He was also a past president for the Lewis County 4-H Council.
Clinton was a member of Tollesboro Christian Church and was blessed with a church family that loved him.
Clinton leaves behind his farming partner and his brother, Darrin Applegate. He is also survived by his wife, Nickie Thomas Applegate; his two sons, Trevor Howard Applegate and Travis Hinton Applegate; and his father, Billy Gene Applegate.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Donna Lou Tully Applegate.
Services will be at 1:00 p.m. Monday, March 6, 2023, at Tollesboro Christian Church with Bro. John Byard, Steve Pederson, and Bro. Phil Cropper officiating.
Clinton will be laid to rest in Mount Carmel Cemetery.
Pallbearers include Steve Pederson, Jim Lightner, Jim Meadows, Lee Thomas, Mark Conrad, and Frank Mawk. Honorary pallbearers include the members of the Tollesboro Lions Club.
Visitation will be after 10:00 a.m. Monday at Tollesboro Christian Church, 3684 West KY 10 at Tollesboro.
In place of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Clinton to the Tollesboro Lions Club (PO Box 123, Tollesboro, KY 41189) and Tollesboro Christian Church.
Boone-Nickell Funeral Home in Flemingsburg is caring for Clinton and his family.
Friends may offer online condolences at www.boonenickellfuneralhome.com.
