Clara H. Bohr was born on March 25, 1912 , the daughter of Henry and Nettie (Zweibohmer) Bohr on a farm east of Ossian, Iowa. She attended St. Francis De Sales School in Ossian.
On March 28, 1932 she was united in marriage to Melvin A. Holien at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church. They resided in rural Ossian until 1936 when they moved to town where she was employed in various occupations, among them Gunderson’s Department Store and the Post Office. In 1946 the Holiens moved to rural Canton, Minnesota where they owned and operated the Lenora Country Store until the mid 1950’s when they moved to Canton where Clara was employed at the Post Office. After twenty-five years of combined service in the Ossian and Canton Post Offices, Clara retired in 1974. After the death of her husband in 1983, Clara lived in Canton until she moved to Winona in 1999. She moved from her apartment at the Kensington in 2003 after a fall left her disabled in body, but not in spirit. She has resided at St. Anne’s of Winona since then, and attending daily Mass and the many activities available to her, inspiring fellow residents with her zest for life and entertaining caregivers with stories of life experience. Clara made many friends along the way.
Clara was a member of the Assumption Catholic Church, the Altar Society, and Choir in Canton. She was active in senior citizen projects and a member of the American Postal Workers Union.
Clara passed away Wednesday March 31, 2010 at St. Anne of Winona at the age of 98.
Clara is survived by her daughter Jean (James) Malanaphy; a son David (Audrey) Holien; twelve grandchildren James Malanaphy III, Toni Malanaphy-(Michael) Sorg, Brennan (Peg) Malanaphy, Seri Malanaphy, Joel Malanaphy, Stuart Malanaphy, Maury (Liz) Malanaphy, Kay (Holien) Aanestad, David Joe (Kristen) Holien, John (Jenny) Holien, Kirk Holien, Ben (Dawn) Holien, and twenty great grandchildren James Malanaphy IV, Jonah Halvorson, McKenzie, Marley, and Tess Malanaphy, Sydney, Max, Clara, Kate, and Owen Malanaphy, Kellen Anderson, Paige and Zoe Aanestad, Morgan, Christian, and David Holien, Sophia and Thor Holien, Karson and Kiera Holien; two sisters-in-law Violet (Henry) Bohr, and Elsie (Holien) Gordon; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Melvin, one infant daughter, a grandson David Malanaphy, three sisters Sister Mary Doris Bohr OSF, Frances Herold, and an infant sister, and eight brothers Anthony, Edward, Andrew, Fred, Alphonse, Hubert, Frank, and Henry.
Funeral Mass will be 10AM Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at the Assumption Catholic Church in Canton, Minnesota with Father Francis Galles officiating. Burial will be in the Calvary Cemetery in Canton. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church. Memorials are preferred to St. Anne’s of Winona or Assumption Catholic Church.
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