After the death of his parents, Clarence was admitted to Oxford Orphanage on the 19th of January in 1925 by his uncle, Jim E. Taylor, who was of the Crumpler Masonic Lodge. This was the same year the orphanage was opened by the Masonic Groups.464 But Clarence did not settly and ran away from both the Oxford Orphanage and Jackson Training School. Later, a well-to-do couple named, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Covington "took him in" to help on their farm. The Covingtons later "took in" a few other young boys after Clarence was grown, married, and gone. They never had any children of their own and never adopted.996

Clarence's daughter, Frances, was born in the Covington Home.

It is thought that he met his wife at a Baptist church in Abingdon, Virginia while he was employed by Pet Milk Company as a milk deliverer.996