Clara Viola Warren

WARREN, Clara Viola - September 14, 1914 - February 13, 2008 Clara Viola Warren passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 at her daughter's home in Sebastopol, CA. During her final days she was surrounded by her loving family. She was 93. Clara had many friends in Vallejo where she lived for 69 years. In 2005 she moved to Sebastopol to be closer to her son and daughter. No matter where she lived, she established lasting friendships with church members, her neighbors, and employees in the businesses where she shopped. Every one seemed to know her and genuinely care about her, and she about them. Clara was born on the family farm in Bancroft, NE. She was the second of three children of William and Elisa Mehling. Her father died when she was six from lock jaw poisoning. Following his death, her mother moved the family to Arco, MN where she cleaned homes and took in laundry. Times were tough. When not in school, Clara helped out whenever she could by helping her mother iron and clean. In 1924 her mother married Knute Carlson and the family moved back to Macy, NE. To this new marriage a child was born and the family now numbered six: Knute, Elisa and children, Kenneth, Clara, Edna, and new sister Ruth. Clara's high school in Macy only went to the 11th grade so, in order to complete her high school education, she left her family in Macy and moved into a boarding house in Walthill, NE. During her senior year she earned her room and board by cleaning, cooking and ironing for the woman who owned the boarding house. Every day she would return to the boarding house during her lunch break, clean the house, and return to school in the afternoon. Following high school graduation, in order to attend college, she sold her prize winning pig, Boots, and earned enough money to pay for her first semester college tuition. In September, with suitcase in hand, she hitch-hiked to Wayne State Teachers College in Wayne, NE to begin her freshman year. Following two years at Wayne State, she was hired to teach in a one-room, K through 8th grade school on the Macy Indian Reservation. This began a long and distinguished career in teaching. During this time, at a St. Patrick's Day dance, she met the love of her life, a handsome young farmer named Harold Warren. This presented a dilemma for her as her teaching contract contained a clause that stated that if she were married, she could no longer teach. Five months later, after a whirlwind courtship, Clara and 'Hap' Warren as he was known, drove to Sioux City, IA and were married by a local clergyman in a private ceremony witnessed by the pastor's wife. Times were hard and finances were slim. Together they had just enough money to buy Hap a suit, pay the pastor, buy an orange juice to share, and pay the bridge toll to cross back over the Missouri River into Nebraska. Guilt finally got the best of Clara. She approached the President of the School Board and said that she had something to tell him. He replied, "You and Hap are married aren't you? I'm glad you told me because everyone is talking about Hap spending so much time at your house." He went on to say that as long as he was President of the School Board, she would have a teaching job in the district. So began Hap and Clara's life together. Their first home was a 9 by 16 foot trailer on the Indian reservation where she taught. Hap would get up early to start the fire in the furnace that warmed McCaully School and at 7:45 a.m. he would ring the school bell. Class started promptly at 8:00 a.m. In 1940, Hap and Clara sold their small farm, two plow horses and most of their belongings, packed up what was left in their Chevrolet coupe, and moved to Vallejo, CA. In 1950, Clara returned to teaching in the Vallejo Unified School District where she spent the next 25 years teaching in Vallejo elementary schools. Concurrently, while raising a family and teaching full-time she returned to college, completing her Bachelors Degree and California Teaching Credential. She graduated from San Francisco State with honors. Clara was preceded in death by Harold Warren, her husband of 59 years, and her older brother, Kenneth Mehling. Clara is survived by her son and his wife, Jarold and Kay Warren, and her daughter and her husband, Jean and Harry Polley; sisters Edna Fischer of Forestville and Ruth Dennis and her husband Dave of Vallejo; five loving grandkids; three step grandkids; and nine great grandkids. Clara and Hap were faithful members of the First Lutheran Church in Vallejo and the Benicia Lutheran Church. Upon moving to Sebastopol, Clara became a member of the Community Church of Sebastopol. A memorial service will be held at the Community Church of Sebastopol, 1000 Gravenstein Highway North, on Friday, February 29th at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that memorial donations be made to the Community Church of Sebastopol Building Fund at the above address or to the Sutter VNA and Hospice, 1110 North Dutton Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95401