MIDLAND EMPIRE INSURANCE AGENCY OF OREGON - Key Persons

Miland Empire insurance,( formerly Clarks) has been our agent for many years with a number of different companys.they... have always treated us very fairly with personal service and a desire to do their best for us. Debbie Schamp has been great for us in finding the best coverage and price for our needs. Now insured by Safeco, Debbie helped us navigate through a couple of claims that on our own, without help, would have been difficult at best. Thank you Debbie,and the rest of the staff there. I give them 10 stars !!!!! Charles and Joan.read more

When I was relocating to Klamath Falls, My realtor suggested Midland Empire. After talking with Dustie she found me... excellent coverage for my needs and at about half of what was paying before. She work with my mortgage company on proof of coverage for my loan. Kept me well in formed during the process.Ken read more

Lawton checked all the boxes when it came to meeting my insurance needs. Not only did he beat my current rates, but... also was able to give me better coverage. He was in touch every step of the way to a make sure I was taken care of.

Sylvia Lesueur were both originally from New Jersey and had been childhood sweethearts since they were 8 years old. Clem enlisted in the Marines in February of 1942, thinking that he would be fighting in France, as he spoke fluent French because his parents were French immigrants. Fatefully the Marine Corps' mission was not in Europe, but in the Pacific, where Clem, at Guadalcanal was bitten by a mosquito and contracted malaria and filariasis which developed into elephantiasis. This is a tropical disease in which a mosquito transfers the worm parasite to a person and the parasite blocks the lymphatic system causing the swelling of body parts. The Marines had a hospital in Klamath Falls, Oregon, because at 5,000 feet above sea level the parasite goes dormant, so Clem was transferred there on April 1, 1945 to recuperate. Clem fell in love with Klamath country and when he was mustered out of the Marine Corps in 1945, he made Klamath his home. Clem started many businesses from 1945 - 1950. Since he had joined the Marine Corps Reserve, he was called back for the Korean War in 1950. During that time, he proposed to Sylvia and they were married in 1951 after his discharge from the Marines a second time. Sylvia worked in banking and Clem worked in real estate sales until they purchased Midland Empire Insurance from Bill McKibbon in 1958. The agency grew and grew and in 1984 their son Lance and his wife, Bernice purchased the agency. Clem and Sylvia's son Lance was born in Klamath Valley Hospital in 1955. Klamath Falls was a booming timber town, a great time and place to grow up in. Lance was involved in scouting and achieved his Eagle Scout award in 1970. He played varsity basketball for the Klamath Union Pelicans under the great coach, Al Keck. Lance graduated from high school in 1973 and joined the United States Marine Corps, participating in the evacuation of Vietnam (Operation Frequent Wind), evacuation of Cambodia (Operation Eagle Pull) and the Mayaguez incident. He was mustered out of the Corps as a Sergeant in 1977. After attending one year at Oregon Institute of Technology, he transferred to the College of Insurance in New York City in 1978. Lance participated in their work/study program by working at Frank B. Hall, the third largest insurance brokerage house, in their Wall Street office. Lance graduated from the College of Insurance in 1982 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. While Lance was going to school and working in New York, he met and married Bernice Meehan. Bernice graduated from Rosemont College outside of Philadelphia. Bernice was working at Hoffman-La Roche in the pharmaceutical division when she and Lance met. They were married in 1980. In 1982 Lance and his new bride Bernice came back home to Klamath Falls to work for Clem and Sylvia in the agency. In 1984 Lance and Bernice purchased the agency from Clem and Sylvia and with the help of the best employees, and with three successful purchases of other agencies [Kirk Driver (1985), Warren Maxwell (1987), Ron Mason (2000), Jeff Clark (2011), and Rudy Hiley-Ganger Insurance (2018)], along with knowledgeable organic sales, Midland Empire grew twelve times since the original 1984 purchase.