Clara Halvorson

Clara Marie Carlson was born on April 2, 1911 on the peninsula in Ortonville in the home of her parents, John August and Ida Sofia Carlson (nee Bergendahl). The youngest of ten children, she was a first generation American of Swedish parents. She was confirmed in Swedish at the Swedish Lutheran Church in Ortonville, and was very proud of her Swedish heritage throughout her life. She graduated from Ortonville High School in 1929, and was the last surviving member of this class. After her graduation, she went on to the Western Minnesota Hospital in Graceville for two years of nurses' training, and then to Ancker Memorial Hospital in the Twin Cities for her final year before becoming a registered nurse. Following school, Clara married Carl William Halvorson in the summer of 1932 at Carl's family home in Appleton, MN. To this union were born three sons; John, David, and Bruce. Clara and Carl celebrated thirty-seven years together before his passing on February 22, 1970.



While raising her family, Clara also took care of her mother and father for many years as well as being a local nurse and caretaker for her neighbors. Following Bruce?s graduation from high school, Clara returned to nursing. Over the twenty years that she worked as a nurse, she was the Director of Nursing for the Schliep Nursing Home and Hospital in Ortonville and for the Appleton Day Nursing Home. Clara took the ethical principles of her training very seriously, and was traditional in her view of nursing.



Clara lived a quiet and unassuming life, enjoying her home and family. She had many interests outside of nursing. She loved working in her flower garden, and was always happy to share flowers with others; many family and neighborhood special occasions were adorned with flowers from Clara's garden! Another passion was cooking, and she was a wonderful cook and baker. Among her family's favorite dishes were her baked chicken, hot dish and her angel food cake. Clara was always very good to her children and enjoyed spoiling her grandchildren with her homemade sweets and candy. Clara was well known for quoting an old Swedish saying, "It's a great life if you don't weaken."



Clara passed away Friday, March 30, 2007, at the Northridge Residence in Ortonville, MN. She is preceded in death by her parents, John August and Ida Sofia Carlson; her husband, Carl William Halvorson; her infant son John Bruce Halvorson; and all nine of her siblings.



Clara is survived by her sons, David (Carol) Halvorson and Bruce (Jackie) Halvorson. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Carla Halvorson, Becky (nee Halvorson) and Charles Wachter, Andrew and Michele Halvorson, and Sarah (nee Halvorson) and Jeff Baggott; and two great-grandchildren, Clara Ruth and Charles David.