FEBRUARY 6

At the Rehkamp Funeral Home

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A REMBRANCE

A Few Words from the Oldest Granddaughter

 

by Jenny Orsen Norgaard

Tioga, North Dakota

 

         I am the oldest granddaughter, one of the older grandchildren along with Bill, Tom, Wade, and my brother Nick who rode trikes around the poles in Grandma's basement and played in the cubbyholes. 

         Grandma fed us eggs and bacon in the mornings and oatmeal with bits of bacon in it.  (If you haven't tried it, you should.)  She fed us fried chicken, fruit salad, sticky buns, white overnight cake, watermelon on the deck with a sprinkle of salt, and an endless supply of orange sherbet pushups.  Grandma loved to feed people.  The three big chest freezers in the basement are proof.

         Then came the babies.  Of course, we were once babies, too, but we older cousins got to watch Grandma love each new baby -- Erin, Sonya, Lori, Alissa, Krystal, Jake, Lindsay, John Paul, and Joe.  To each baby in the highchair, Grandma would sing, "Coocha, Coocha, Ding, Ding, Baby, you got every-ting."  Grandma made sure all her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-greats got everything.  Feeding people is how Grandma showed her love.

         Grandma was a collector -- plates, spoons, depression glass, dolls, birdhouses.  Touring her house was like touring a museum.  All that good stuff Grandma collected was evidence of an artist decorating her home with things she loved.  How special for each of us to have a few pieces from her collection now.

         More evidence that Grandma was an artist?  The painting she did, baby doll faces she painted, stuffed bears she made, ceramics, and, most notably, her beautiful quilts.  Grandma made her neck of the woods beautiful.  When God created the world, he saw that it was good.  When Grandma saw her collections, she delighted in them, and I bet God did too.

         Grandma was a hard worker, both in the home and in the yard.  But she also sure had a lot of fun.  I think of Grandma swimming in the pool in Alamo, Texas, wearing fancy hats and doing water aerobics, hearing of her clogging and square-dancing, and mostly dancing polkas and waltzes with Grandpa.  Grandma did not sit on the sidelines of life.  In fact, she and Grandpa traveled the world.

         If Grandma wasn't putting food out when she was in the kitchen, she was showing us photo albums filled with snapshots of their latest trip -- Norway, France, Belgium, England, China, South America, even Tioga, North Dakota, and lots and lots and lots of fishing trips.

         One story I remember is when the guy they were fishing with put one foot into the boat and the other stayed on the dock and after a stretch he ended up in the drink.  I don't think I've even seen Grandma and Grandpa laugh that hard telling a story.  Most of the other stories include Grandma catching the biggest fish.

         Grandma's last trip wasn't as much fun, but her destination was the best.  As Grandma's body was winding down, my mom (Susan) remarked to me often with heartfelt admiration at how Grandpa hardly ever left Grandma's side, from morning to night, and at how good her brothers and sisters were to Grandma, to their mom.  They got to help feed Grandma who had fed them and all the babies for over 70 years.  You will know them by their fruits, and Grandma has a pretty good crop.

             Elizabeth  “Betty” Ann Claeys, 92, of Ghent died on Monday morning, February 4th, 2019, at the Prairie Home Hospice Lockwood House in Marshall, MN.  Prayers and visitation will be held Wednesday afternoon, February 6th, and Thursday morning, February 7th, at the Rehkamp Funeral Home in Marshall.  Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Marshall on Thursday, February 7th, at 11:00 a.m. with Father Dennis Labat officiating.  Final resting place will be the St. Eloi Catholic Cemetery at Ghent where generations of family and friends reside.

***

                 Betty Ann was born on a farm north of Minneota, MN, on January 16th, 1927, to Harold and Mary (Jennen) Opdahl, the first of seven children.  She was baptized and confirmed at St. Eloi Catholic Church in Ghent.  She graduated from 8th grade at St. Eloi (Agnes) School in 1941 and the Minneota High School in 1945.  She was united in marriage to L. Joseph Claeys of Ghent on May 20th, 1947, at the St. Eloi Catholic Church.  To this union were born seven children.  Betty and Joe moved from their farm at Ghent to Boulder Estates in Marshall in March 2017.  They celebrated more than 71 years of marriage.

                 Betty loved to cook and bake for her family.  She fed the birds, planted flowers, cleaned chickens, gardened, canned, made elaborate quilts, and worked very hard.  She enjoyed fishing and motorhome camping with Joe.  She loved music and playing the piano, especially polkas and waltzes.  She and Joe danced all their life together, including around the kitchen island and then finally at Boulder Creek in Marshall.  Betty loved their winter home and friends in Texas where she golfed, danced, took clogging lessons, and played cards.

                 In earlier years, Betty was the President of the St. Eloi Altar Society and traveled to Florida for a Catholic Conference.  She was a member of bridge clubs and a Marshall bowling league.  She spent countless hours writing, gathering historical photos, and helping put together the St. Eloi Parish Centennial Book.  She enjoyed genealogy, family history, collectables, and antiques. 

                 Betty took painting and language classes (Norwegian) at Southwest State.  She loved to travel and with Joe visited Norway, Belgium, London, Paris, Normandy Beach, the Holy Land, even China and Argentina.  She and Joe also traveled the USA from east to west, and north to south, plus Hawaii and Alaska and far into Mexico and Canada.  They went on many fishing trips.  With lady friends, Betty went on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.

                 Betty was preceded in death by her parents Harold and Mary Opdahl; brothers Harold Jr. and Dan; sisters Elaine Opdahl, Clarone Williams, and Sharlene Drown; brothers in law Bob Williams and Don Claeys; grandson Chad Leibfried; great grandson Carter Boerboom.

                 She is survived by husband Joe, their 7 children, 14 grandchildren, 34 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren.

                 The children: Susan (Allan) Orsen of Victoria, Barb (Doug) Leibfried of Prior Lake, Nancy (Steve) Boerboom of Ghent, Bernie (Margene) of Ghent, Louie of Ghent, Matt (Suzanne) of Dallas, TX, and Paul (Sharon) of Marshall.

                 The grandchildren:  Jenny (Christopher) Norgaard, Nick (Jen) Orsen, Tom (Sherry) Leibfried, Erin (Tye) Ferguson, Alissa (Kyle) Haack, John Paul (Emily) Leibfried, Bill (Missy) Boerboom, Wade (Joy) Boerboom, Sonya (Dustin) Vierstraete, Lori Dubbeldee, Krystal (Chris) Lindquist, Jacob (Bridget) Claeys, Lindsay (Ben) Tippetts, Joe Claeys.

                 The great grandchildren:  Addie and Gunnar Norgaard, Sophie and Mia Orsen, Carly (Jake) Robinson, Lex and Arianna Leibfried, Jack and Lucy Ferguson; John Henry, Grace, and Luke Leibfried; Cody, Dylan, and Wyatt Boerboom; Katie Boerboom; Jack, Jonah, and Jesse Vierstraete; Tori and Tiffany Dubbeldee; Katie, Jordan, Caden, Bella, and Leah Lindquist; Olivia, Vance, Devyn, and Ivory Claeys; Reba, Matt, Ellie, and Abbie Tippetts.

                 Great great grandchildren:  Ryan and Riley Robinson.

                 Betty is also survived by her brother Mike (Norma) Opdahl of Spicer; brothers in law and sisters in law Sandy Opdahl of Marshall, Bill Drown of Marshall, Char Opdahl of Des Moines, IA, Doris Claeys of Madison, MN, Jim and Julie Claeys of Marshall, many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

                 Arrangements were with the Rehkamp Funeral Home of Marshall.