Clare A. Johnson, 98, of Sioux Falls, SD passed away on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 surrounded by family at Trail Ridge Retirement Living in Sioux Falls shortly after a cancer diagnosis.

Funeral Mass will be 10:30 am Friday, October 11 at The Church of St Mary, 2109 S. 5th Ave., Sioux Falls, SD with interment at Woodlawn Cemetery with her husband, George.

Memorial visitation with the family present to greet friends will be from 5:00 – 7:00 pm Thursday, October 10 with Wake and Rosary at 6:30 pm at Miller Funeral Home Southside Chapel, 7400 S. Minnesota Ave., Sioux Falls, SD.

Clare was born at 4:45 AM on December 6, 1925 to William Aloysius and Mary Cecelia (McNeive) Murry in rural Jackson County Kansas.  Clare joined three older brothers and two older sisters, and was subsequently joined by one more brother.  The family lived on a small farm bordering Cross Creek. The area was populated with Irish Catholic families, and many were relatives to Clare.  As early as Clare could remember she was surrounded by siblings, cousins, double cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents into every venue she ventured.

Clare's father died when she was six years old.  Her mother had the courage, fortitude and stamina to keep the small farm operating during the Dirty 30's with a young family.  Austerity was a way of life with the family.  Those formative years established Clare's rigor for the rest of her life.

Following graduation from Emmett High School in 1944, she moved to Topeka with her family.  She was employed by the Kansas Corporation Commission.   While enjoying being young and single, a group of friends would periodically go to Winter General Military Hospital in Topeka to socialize with wounded soldiers.  During one of those visits in 1945 she met George Johnson, who was on crutches and wearing purple pajamas.  A long courtship started and Clare agreed marriage was in the cards.  Clare and George were married October 8, 1949 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Topeka.

One year later they welcomed their first son, while living in Topeka.  The family eventually moved to Sioux Falls and put down deep roots.  Clare gave life to five more sons over the next nine years.  With six boys in tow, Clare wove a tight fabric of life involving family, faith and friends.  Clare and George had many deep relationships with others who fit into the Greatest Generation description; made do with what was given, tended to overachieve and to give thanks graciously.

Faith was always an important element in Clare's life.  She made her Catholic faith a family priority, and supported it with both her talents and treasures.  She was a member of St Mary parish for over 70 years, serving and leading many groups and events.  She sang in the funeral choir for decades.  She was involved throughout the community including Catholic Daughters, Bishop O'Gorman Catholic Schools, Avera Hospital and Right to Life.

Clare developed a love of golf and played until she was 94 when she needed a hip replacement.   She started using a golf cart when she turned 90.  She enjoyed the individual challenge of golf as much as the socializing during and after the rounds.  She played in women's leagues for decades at Minnehaha CC and Elmwood.

The challenges of raising six boys eventually led to a payoff, and Clare gained six daughters-in-law.   She developed personal and distinct relationships with each of them.  She was a believer people needed to find their own ways in life; but could still benefit from slight nudges, as she presented her own life lessons.  If asked, she would easily share her knowledge of how to properly prepare a pheasant, make rice pudding, prep a meal for 20 or feed steady stream of hungry breakfast seekers. Little was written down, with most of it from years of repetition.

Clare and George were able enjoy trips to all corners of the country visiting family as well as overseas.   Clare always loved returning to Kansas to visit family; and crossing the Kansas state line would lead to her rendition of We're From Kansas as well as quoting Ad Astra per Aspera ("to the stars through difficulties") which she learned as a young girl.  She loved to sing and had a song, ditty or nonsensical lyric for any life event.

Clare was a role model to many who knew her, but especially her 13 grandchildren, as she practiced moderation, stayed active, kept her mind sharp and remained faithful. Her work ethic was so strong that she rarely seemed to sit down, except to read or do a crossword puzzle. Eventually her grandkids gained enough practice to be able to answer some of the crossword themselves, while grandma scratched their backs, arms, or heads. Clare knew how to mend a hole in any piece of clothing, find the best price during daily shopping trips, and bake delicious sugar cookies at Christmas. She never let a scrap of food go to waste, making meals out of small leftovers and keeping celery around for munching. Clare continued routine walks around the block her entire life and was still shoveling snow last winter.

Clare truly had a green thumb, maintaining beautiful flowers, keeping the weeds away, and growing produce in her garden that was used in many of her recipes. Her homemade rhubarb jams and desserts were especially popular.

Clare was social with a wide group of friends from church, her neighborhood, the golf course, and her bridge or mahjong groups. She drove herself to many social gatherings until her final few months, and then continued to host her friends at her home or find a ride from a friend. They all loved her dearly.

Clare lived nearly a century, but always stayed in tune with the current technology to keep in touch with family and friends. She was quick to adopt Facebook and routinely texted with her grandchildren. However, she kept practical items from previous decades, such as a sturdy saltine crackers tin, paper calendars updated with family events and a trusty grandfather clock that she never forgot to wind.

Clare was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, George, her son, Tim, granddaughter, Megan, her parents and her siblings: Bill, Tom, Frank, Mary Kathleen, Theresa and Joseph.

Clare is survived by her sons: Stephen (Bernadine) of Renner SD, David (Colleen) Of Rapid City SD, Dan (Kim) of Bradenton FL, Paul (Fabienne) of Austin TX, Phil (Karen) of Sioux Falls, and daughter-in-law Ann Johnson of Atlanta GA.  In addition to grandchildren: Marcie, Clare (Nick), Amanda (Jay), George (Lindsey), Barrett (Monica), Sarah (Daniel), Katie (Micah), Patrick (Katya), Mary (Tim), Kelly (Jesse), Amy, and Teresa (Darren) and great-grandchildren:  Nick (Sara), Lydia, Beatriz, Katarina, Iva, Felix, Enzo, Gussy, Teddy, Aleksander, Nikolai, Maksim, Madeline, Eden and Scarlett.

Memorials may be made to the Clare & George Johnson Family Foundation Fund at Bishop O'Gorman Catholic School Foundation.