Funeral Service for Clara Olana Skaarhaug, 96, of Grenville, SD will be held on Friday March 20, 2009 at 1:00 P.M. at the Cahill Funeral Chapel, Sisseton S.D. with the Rev. Janet Johnson officiating. Organist will be Mona Greseth.Pallbearers will be Kenneth and Dennis Okroi, Kenneth Snaza, Delbert Hopkins Sr., Terry McGloghlon, and Matthew Mattson. Honorary pallbearers will be all of Clara's grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the folks she inspired by her works. Interment will be in the Zoar Lutheran Cemetery, Grenville, SD. There will be visitation on Thursday March 19, 2009 form 2:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to service time at the Cahill Funeral Chapel, Sisseton SD.
Clara was born on September 20, 1912 on the Whipple Ranch near Wilmot SD to Joseph and Ida (Johnson) Tystad. The family moved to Washington State where they lived for awhile before moving back to live on her grandfather's homestead in Kosciusko Township, Day County South Dakota. Her mother passed away before she was 10 yrs old. Clara and her siblings formed a tight bond while growing up and attended different country schools throughout their elementary education. They also enjoyed their time at Zoar Lutheran church learning in Norwegian during the summer. She worked her way through school working for room and board while attending and graduating from Sisseton High School. After High School, she attended Beauty school in Fargo N.D. and later attended college in Madison SD and received her teaching certificate. She then taught and substituted in many of the area schools.
In 1940, Clara was united in marriage to Nels Skaarhaug in Brookings SD. They had four children, Neil, Halvor, Leif, and Susanne. They bought and moved to Wist store which they ran for many years buying cream, eggs, chicken, furs, and frogs. While the children were growing up, she was 4-H leader for the Wist Explorers. Clara loved poetry. She wrote numerous poems many of which were published. She always said "the thoughts would come to her and she had to write them before she forgot". She attended Poetry Conventions in New York City, Washington D.C., and Las Vegas. She was very instrumental in having Zoar Lutheran Church put on the Historic Society listing of which she was a member for many years.
Clara passed away on March 16, 2009 at the Strand Kjorsvig Community Rest home in Roslyn, SD.
Clara was proceeded in death by her father and mother Joseph and Ida (Johnson) Tystad, her husband Nels, one brother Richard, two sisters Ethel Shinkle and Edna Tystad, two sons, Neil and Leif, and one grandchild Rebecca.
Clara is survived by one son Halvor Skaarhaug of Grenville, SD and one daughter Susanne and husband Roland Crandall of Lidgerwood ND; four granddaughters Tanya and Todd Pistorious of Rosholt, SD, Rachelle and Jason Arndt of Fargo ND, Sonja and Mike Jensen of Sisseton SD and Debra Schmitz of Tacoma Washington and nine great grandchildren.