Clara Mclean

Clara Marie Swartz was born on June 18, 1923 to Joseph and Rose (Shereck) Swartz and raised on the family farm at Lankin, ND. Clara was the youngest of 12 children. She finished 12 years of schooling through the Lankin School District. She married Raymond McLean of Dahlen, ND on May 12, 1941 in Crookston, MN. They moved to the McLean family farm at Dahlen, ND where they farmed and Clara worked the cook cars for the Ole Iverson Threshing Crew. Times being tough, they went where the work was, living in Lankin, Park River, and Grafton from 1948 to 1953 and finally opening the Lakota Locker Plant with Donald McLean in 1954. They moved to Petersburg, ND in 1961 and operated the Petersburg Locker Plant until moving back to Lakota in 1971 and operating the Lakota Locker Plant. Working side by side for all those years, they both retired in 1986. Raymond passed away on March 24, 1999. Clara continued to live in their home until moving to an apartment in Lakota in 2012. She recently entered the Good Samaritan Center in Lakota with some lingering health issues.

Clara is survived by her son, Charles (Lana) McLean of Petersburg, ND; daughter-in-law, Myrna (Herman) Deleon of Hillsboro, ND; 5 grandchildren, Mike (Amy) McLean of Fargo, ND, Mark (Michelle) McLean of Hillsboro, ND, Marie Mayo (Tim Peterson) of Hillsboro, ND, Brent McLean of Petersburg, ND, and Jody (Jon) Sanderson of Forest Lake, MN; 9 great grandchildren, Jeremy Mayo, Margaret McLean, Tanner McLean, Jacob McLean, Josh Mayo, Alex McLean, Sidney McLean, Jaden Sanderson, and Nicole Sanderson; sisters-in-law, Muriel Swartz of Park River, ND and Ruth Swartz of Santa Rosa, CA.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray; son, Marlin; parents, Joseph and Rose; sisters, Ludmilla, Adeline Kratochvil, and Eva Rose; brothers, Ed, James, Henry, Ludwig, Martin, Albert, Julius, and Charlie.

Clara's Funeral Service will be held at Lakota Lutheran Church, Lakota, ND, on Monday, January 20, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. Officiating will be Rev. Russell Pollock. The organist will be Karen Fowler and the soloist will be Jason Flom. Interment will be in the spring at the Petersburg Cemetery. Serving as casketbearers will be Clara's great grandchildren. Visitation will be held at the Aaker Funeral Home of Lakota on Sunday, beginning at 3:00 p.m. with a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church on Monday, from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service.