Mary Clause

March 3, 2007

Funeral services for Mary McConnell Clause, 96, of Jefferson, formerly of Grand Junction and Beaver, will be held 2:00pm Wednesday March 7 at First United Methodist Church in Grand Junction. Interment will be in the Beaver Cemetery. Friends may call at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home in Grand Junction after 3:00pm Tuesday. The family will greet friends at the funeral home between 6:00 -8:00pm Tuesday. Mary Jane McConnell Clause was born December 25, 1910 at O’Fallon’s near Hershey, Nebraska. She was the daughter of David Stroyan McConnell and Maud Miller McConnell. Mary attended O’Fallon’s school through the 12th grade. In her youth, she was an avid horsewoman, and played women’s semi-pro baseball in the North Platte area. Mary graduated as a Registered Nurse from Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, MN in 1932 with a specialty in obstetric nursing. She was a private duty nurse for several years around North Platte, Nebraska. Mary was united in marriage to Robert Clifton Clause in 1940 at the W.B. Hunter home near Beaver, Iowa. Two children were born to this union. Mary and her husband were cattle feeders in the Beaver and Grand Junction area. Following Robert’s death in 1957, Mary continued the cattle feeding operation until her retirement in the mid 1980’s. Mary was a 50+ year member of the Federated Women’s Clubs and had served as Boone County Chairman. She also belonged to the Boone County Farm Bureau and had served as county chairman of the Farm Bureau Women. She was a former member of Eastern Star in Grand Junction, and she was an avid bridge player. Later, Mary moved into Grand Junction, where she belonged to First United Methodist Church. She was very active in the church, serving as church financial secretary for many years. She was a life-long student of the Bible. On September 20, 2005, Mary became a resident at Long Term Care at the Greene County Medical Center. There, she died March 3, 2007 at the age of 96 years. Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, 4 brothers: Mark, Howard, Frank and Gordon; and 4 sisters: Elva, Marie, Kate, and Edith who died as a toddler. Surviving are two daughters: Judith Garber and Mary Catherine (Gene) Aldrich, both of Beaver, IA; three grandchildren: Timothy Garber of Dallas, TX; Jennifer Aldrich of Oak Park, IL; and Margret Aldrich and her husband Gary Kunkel of Minneapolis, MN; one great-grandchild: Abraham Aldrich Kunkel; other relatives and friends. Memorials are suggested to the Iowa Arboretum, Iowa Department for the Blind or Grand Junction First United Methodist Church.