Thelma J. Kloster

Thelma J. Kloster, age 87, a lifelong resident of Clark died on Wednesday evening, December 13, 2006 in the Golden Living Center at Clark where she had resided for the past 7 years. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, December 19, 2006 at 11:00 AM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with the Reverend Gary Anderson officiating. Burial will follow in the Clark Center Lutheran Cemetery near Clark. m Music will be presented by Rosella Hanson as organist with Roger Nordhus being the soloist. He will sing a Medley of Sunday School Songs and "It is Well With My Soul" with Janel (Nordhus) Schultz as accompanist. The congregation will sing "Oh Come Oh Come Immanuel", "The Little Ones, Dear Lord Are We" and "For All The Saints". Casketbearers will be Harland Kloster, Ray Hanson, Donally, Marlin, Todd and Chad Fjelland. Visitation will be held on Monday from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and after 9AM at the Church on Tuesday morning. She was born in Woodland Township, northwest of Clark, on September 7, 1918, the daughter of Theodore J. and Anna Louise (Solsrud) Kloster. She attended the Eubank School from 1924-1932 and then Clark High School graduating in 1936. Following her high school education, she attended the Lutheran Bible Institute at Minneapolis from 1936-1937. In 1937 she then took a 'post graduate' course at Augustana Academy in Canton, SD until 1938. In 1938 she returned to Clark and began working in the Triple A office ' Agriculture Adjustment Act ' that was located in the old courthouse building in Clark. She became a full-time employee of the USDA ' United States Department of Agriculture ' in 1942, serving as the Chief Program assistant, administrating the Agriculture Conservation Program & the Rural Environmental Assistance Programs. She also helped landowners plan and carryout their conservation work. She had been secretary/treasurer for the county committee, handled commodity loans and worked with the allotment; bin-site, feed, grain and water bank programs and was a notary public. In 1967 she rated the first Clerk of the Month award presented by the Clark Rotary Club and in 1971 she received the Distinguished Award for Community Service of the National Association of the ASCS Employees. Another award she had received was from the Lions Club International Foundation as Volunteer of the Year Award. In 1973 she retired at 33 ' years of service. Even though Thelma's life was very much community involved, her passion was her Church. She was a lifelong member of St Paul Lutheran Church in Clark. She was involved in every aspect of the Church life from being the bulletin editor for 35 years, a Sunday School Teacher, Mission Action Chairman and the women's groups and Luther League ' Circle and WELCA ' at the local, district and conference levels. Thelma was especially dedicated to the children that attended St. Paul Church where she served as Sunday School Supt. for nearly 30 years. Other areas in which she was involved in was being a member of the Lutheran Fellowship League serving as editor of their publication, a member of the LBI Alumni Association, served on the altar guild and was active in the Vacation Bible School program for many years. In the community she had also held leadership positions and received recognition for her work with the American Red Cross Volunteer Program, the American Cancer Society, Sons of Norway, Clark County Historical Society, served on the ICAP board and the AFS board. Even with involvement in all of those activities she still found time to travel, work in her garden, sewing for Lutheran World Relief and collecting salt & pepper shakers. Her greatest love were all the Sunday School children that she nurtured over several generations. Thelma is survived by her sister Alma M. Holm of Clark, 2 nieces, Karen Ceisel and husband Mark of Arkansas, Kedrin Wurmser and husband Alain of Valbonne, France, a nephew James Holm of Clark, a nephew-in-law, Jeff Snyder of Sioux Falls, 5 great-nie