Todd D. Clausen

Todd D. Clausen

Sioux City

Todd David Clausen, 49, of Sioux City, passed away peacefully on Aug. 29, 2020, surrounded by his family, after a heroic three year battle with stage four pancreatic cancer.

Private family services will be held Friday. Burial will be in Graceland Park Cemetery. Visitation will be outdoors, with masks and social distancing please, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, with an outdoor service at 6:30 p.m., in front of Morningside Lutheran Church. The Rev. Noah Ruppert will be officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Homes. Online condolences can be left for the family at www.christysmith.com.

Todd was born on March 7, 1971, in Akron, Ohio, to Larry Duane and Dorothy Janice (Hendrickson) Clausen. He was raised in Sioux City, attending Longfellow Elementary, East Middle, and East High School, where he graduated with the class of 1990. He obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of South Dakota, where he was an active member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and the Strollers.

He married Ivy Moss of Sergeant Bluff on April 17, 2004. They made their home on an acreage just outside Sioux City, where they have raised their two children, Samuel Raine, 14, and Laryn Janice, 12, who are both students at East Middle School.

During his career, Todd worked as a tracker for the probation department at Sergeant Bluff schools, and as a salesman of wine, pharmaceuticals, and, most recently and happily, Gerkin Windows & Doors.

During one of his sales trips for Gerkin, Todd came upon a car on the shoulder of I-29 near Sisseton, S.D., that was on fire with a family trapped inside. Together with another good samaritan, Todd broke out a window of the car, pulling to safety an infant and an adult passenger before the flames consumed the vehicle and a remaining passenger. For his heroism, Todd was honored by the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of The Lake Traverse Reservation with a blanket ceremony, and was later awarded the Carnegie Hero Award for Acts of Civilian Heroism, both of which he accepted with humility, grace and appreciation. He struggled with unwarranted guilt in being unable to save the remaining passenger.

Todd's favorite activity was, with his wife Ivy, being a dedicated and loving parent to his children, Sam and Laryn. The most difficult part of his brave fight with cancer was his concern for their well-being.

Todd and his family are very grateful to Dr. Nancy Schenk, the doctors and staff at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center, and Dr. Mark Truty, Dr. Travis Grotz, and the other doctors and staff at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Thanks to their expertise and loving care, Todd was a medical miracle, crushing the statistics for stage four pancreatic cancer survival. Todd's participation in Dr. Truty's cutting edge trials helped advance the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Todd and his family are also very grateful to the owners of Gerkin Windows & Doors in South Sioux City and his fellow employees there, for their extraordinary understanding, support, and assistance during his battle. He truly loved working there.

Todd is survived by his wife, Ivy; son, Samuel; daughter, Laryn; father, Larry Clausen; sister, Tami (Jim) Daane; brother, Tim (Paula) Clausen; and grandmother, Marvis Hendrickson.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy; and his nephew, Christopher Clausen Daane.

Memorials have been established for Sam and Laryn's educations at Great Western Bank.