Clara R. Fretheim

Clara R. Fretheim, 96, Shippensburg, PA formerly of Marion, IA, for 48 years, and Decorah, IA, died Sunday, November 4, in the Shippensburg Health Care Center following along illness. Funeral services will be held at 10 A.M. Friday, November 9, 2007 at Fjelstul Funeral Home Decorah with burial in Madison Lutheran Cemetery, rural Decorah. Friends may call from 4:00-8:00 P.M. Thursday, November 8, 2007 at Fjelstul Funeral Home. Clara Rosalinda (Tollefson) Fretheim was born February 6, 1911 in Granville, ND, the daughter of Theodore and Louise (Ask) Tollefson. Clara received an 8th grade education in a one-room schoolhouse in Madison Township, Winneshiek Co, IA. At the age of about 70 she received her GED. She was united in marriage to Arnold S. Fretheim on January 11, 1938 in Charles City, Iowa. This union was blessed with three children: Sonja, Truman and Charles. She worked at Cory’s Aluminum Foundry, Marion, IA for 20 years, and as a nurse’s aide at the Americana Nursing Home in Cedar Rapids, IA for 26 years. After her retirement in 1991 she moved to Decorah where she lived until 2001 when she moved to Shippensburg, PA. Clara died Sunday, November 4, 2007 at Shippensburg Health Care Center in Shippensburg, PA at the age of 96. She was preceded in death by two grandsons, John E. Farley and Joseph Farley; one granddaughter, Mary Farley; five brothers, Arthur, Henry, Leo, Orville and Arthur Tollefson; and one sister, Alida Evenmoe. She is survived by two sons: Truman A. (Jan) Fretheim of Marion, IA, Charles A. (Marcy T.) Fretheim of Shippensburg; one daughter, Sonja M. (John P.) Farley of Corfu, NY; four grandsons: James Farley, Jerald (Dawn) Farley, Jeffrey (Peggy) Farley, all of Corfu, NY, and Scott Fretheim of Cedar Rapids, IA; five granddaughters: Judith Farley of Corfu, NY, Michelle Fretheim of Marion, IA, Linda (Landis) Teu of Anchorage, AK, Heidi Fretheim of Jacksonville, FL, Tiffany (Ben) Blecha of Sterling, CO; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. A full obituary will be posted when it is ready. Thank you.