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Obituary for Mary Helen Clausen
Mary Helen Clausen, 93, of Stuart, passed away September 11, 2017 at the Stuart Community Care Center. Visitation will be held from 1:30 to 2:30 P.M. Saturday, September 30, 2017 at Zion Lutheran Church in Dexter. A celebration of her life will follow the visitation at 2:30 P.M. at the church. Burial will be held at a later date in Dexter city Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the LWML – Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. Online condolences may be made to www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.
Mary Helen was born to Homer Morris and Mary Barbara (Leitel) Baker on the family farm near Barron, Wisconsin on February 29, 1924 making her a leap year baby. She attended country school in Wisconsin until her family moved to New Hampton, Iowa where she graduated from New Hampton High School. Following graduation, Mary Helen enrolled into nursing school at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines receiving a diploma and becoming a registered nurse. This was during World War II and she was a Cadet Nurse. The war ended before she was commissioned. She was united in marriage to Wayne Lovely and six children were born to this union. The marriage later ended. Mary Helen married Dr. Dale Clausen on May 29, 1966. They met when she was the nurse on duty when Dale came in for stitches at the Dexter Hospital. He became faint and always joked that he fell for her. Dale adopted her six children and she adopted his three daughters. She joined the Zion Lutheran Church when she married Dale. Her faith was an important part of her life. She was baptized in 1924 in Barron, Wisconsin and then confirmed on August 26, 1966 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Dexter. Mary Helen worked many years at the Dexter Clinic Hospital and after the family moved to Denison, she worked at the Denison Care Center where she retired as the Director of Nursing. Dale grew a large garden and she canned and froze the extra produce, which is something they both thoroughly enjoyed. She also enjoyed reading, sewing, quilting, and her many grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, brother, Mark Baker, sister, Frances Stokely, and son-in-law, Patrick Kapaun.
Mary Helen leaves behind to cherish her memory, her beloved husband of 51 years, Dale Clausen, She never would have believed that she would be married over 50 years when she married at the age of 42. Other survivors include, her children, Steven (Sue) Clausen, Mary Rebecca Clausen, David (Dee) Clausen, Deborah (Rick) Weiss, Jane Clausen, Denise Kapaun, Darlene (Joe Marron) Clausen, Christine Clausen, Christopher (Jenny) Clausen, and two step-sons, Blair (Mary) Clausen and Martin (Debbie) Clausen; brother, Robert (Karen Bellis) Baker; sister-in-law Iola Lovely; 20 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and a host of friends all of whom will miss her greatly. (Professional Arrangements: Johnson Family Funeral Home – Dexter Chapel).
