Clara Mcclure

Clara Louise Rolston McClure, 77, of Anita, Iowa, died quietly at home on Wednesday, August 13, 2008.

Clara Louise Rolston McClure was born April 19, 1931, in Kansas City, Missouri, the only daughter of Ida Frances (Robinson) Rolston and Harold Leland Rolston and step-daughter of Edwin W. Griste.

She was baptized in the Christian Church in Unionville, Missouri.

Louise attended public school in Unionville, Missouri, and her senior year in Beloit, Wisconsin. She graduated with honors in typing 60 words per minute and shorthand 120 words per minute. She played clarinet, sang in the church choir, and was a girl scout for 10 years.

Short of her graduation from high school she lost her mother, at the age of 41, and her grandmother, just one day apart.

Louise attended Chilicothe Business College in Chilicothe, Missouri, and upon graduation became a legal secretary for the law firm of McCoid & McCoid in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.

On November 3, 1951, Louise married her high school sweetheart, Robert Eugene McClure, in Princeton, Missouri. They were married for 52 years. From this union three children were born, Frances Jean, Sue Ann and Steven Eugene. After raising the children, Louise worked as a waitress, nurse's aid, and cook for Miller Nursing Home in Atlantic. She also worked as a sales clerk for Tober's, Graham's, Conner's, Spurgeon's Clothing Store, Gregersen Pharmacy and Bowers Bakery.

Louise retired in 1995 to take care of her husband, Robert, and moved to Anita in 1997, where she enjoyed her flowers, garden, and cat "Baby".

Louise enjoyed camping and swimming as a girl. She also enjoyed dancing and singing and was always humming when doing housework. She loved flower and vegetable gardening, canning, baking and sewing. Louise was known to make the best brownies, rhubarb jelly, fried chicken and pumpkin bread. Louise's favorite hobbies were to watch and feed the birds, attend garage sales, and read. She sometimes would read five books a week. Most of all, though, Louise enjoyed watching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow.

She was a member of the United Methodist Church and the Garden Club in Anita. During the last year she loved watching cooking shows, visiting with friends and going to Virginia to see her grandson, Shane, in July of 2008. On this trip she flew for the first time and watched her daughters play in the Atlantic Ocean.

Louise was a dear, kind, sweet soul. Never a bad word crossed her lips or bad thing said about anyone. She always saw the good in everyone. She was generous, loving, and sacrificing all of her life. She was the kind of mother everyone should have and only few know.

Louise is survived by her daughters, Jeanie Carlson and her husband, Bill, of Atlantic and Sue Kinzie and her husband, Stan, of Anita; her son, Steve McClure and his wife, Phyllis, of Anita; her grandchildren, Shane Kelly and his wife, Amy, Jessie Haupert and her husband, Scott, Chrissy Kinzie and her friend, Ben Jensen, Nicholas McClure and his friend, Kayla Miller, Nicole McClure, William McClure; and her great-grandchildren, Ashely, Brittney, twins Jacob and Kelsey, Jason, Hayden and Hannah.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Robert, in 2003; her mother, Ida Frances Robinson; her step-father, Edwin W. Griste; her grandparents, Clara Mable Robinson and Joshua Burton Robinson; her step-brother, John Griste; her best friend and sister-in-law, Dorothy McClure O'Brien; her sister-in-law, Margaret McClure; her brothers-in-law, Bill McClure and Bob O'Brien; her mother and father-in-law, Sylvia Ethel McClure and Elmer Lee McClure; and her granddaughter, Stephanie Elaine McClure in infancy.

Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m., Monday, August 18, 2008, at the Hockenberry Funeral Home in Anita, with Hospice Chaplain, Leon Hodges officiating. A visitation will be held prior to the service from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m., on Monday at the funeral home in Anita.

Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery in Anita, Iowa.
Hockenberry Family Care in Anita is in charge of the arrangements.