Clara Lorraine (Dempewolf) Felderman

Clara Lorraine Dempewolf Felderman passed on Saturday afternoon, November 11, 2017, at her home in DeWitt, Iowa.  She was 91 years old. 

She was born in Bellevue on August 23, 1926, to the late Frank and Meta Dempewolf.  Clara was the fifth of ten children in the family.  She was born and raised in the Great Depression and WW II years and remembered life as being a lot different then now. Their water was from a cistern that collected rain from the rooftop.  The bathroom was an outhouse outside and a “thunder mug” by the bed.  All of their toys were hand made from wood by her grandpa and her grandma made their clothes. There was very little work and if you were lucky enough to find a job, then it paid maybe a dollar a day – and you did not work every day.  Clara was lucky enough at the age of 13 to work for a banker, keeping house for $3 per week and that money went to the family.  Those years showed her what could be done with hard determined work and that is what she did her whole life – whether in raising her family or her many hobbies.

After graduating high school she went to nursing school from 1945 thru 1948 but stepped away from that career after marrying Earl Felderman in January of 1948.  They began raising a family of three sons (Keith, Gary and Steve) and a daughter (Shirley).   When the children were older she went back to nursing school, becoming a registered nurse. She pursued that career for many years at St Luke’s and Mercy Hospitals in Davenport and Westwing Place in DeWitt.

She was never an idle person and had many activities and hobbies.  Family camping trips, boating and fishing were some of the activities that the whole family enjoyed.  When the family lived on a farm in Princeton, she raised vegetable, fruit and flower gardens.  Clara canned many of the vegetables and fruits as well as raising chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and rabbits for food.  She would make her own wine from everything from rose petals to dandelions – some of it was even good!  She also raised her prized fancy birds including chickens, pheasants, guineas, peacocks and other exotic critters – local elementary school classes would visit to see these unusual animals.

After moving from the farm, Clara found many other ways to keep busy.  She was a golfer, hunter, target shooter, and loved to fish.  Clara golfed and bowled many years – well into her late 80’s – and would travel the country with a bowling team that competed in national tournaments.  She never stopped playing cards with a DeWitt group twice a week.

Clara loved to travel and it was hard to find a place on the planet she had not been to including many places in Europe and Australia.  She did needle point, crocheting, and quilting.  Clara had her own kiln where she fired and glazed all sorts of unusual animal and decorative figures which she often gave away as gifts to appreciative family and friends.

She was preceded in death by Earl and eight of her siblings.  Clara is survived by her brother, Phil, her four children and their spouses, seven grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren.   She will be missed – as her children learned, the older their Mother became, the wiser she was.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 10:00 until 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 14, 2017, at Schultz Funeral Home, DeWitt. 

Condolences may be expressed and a photo tribute viewed at www.schultzfuneralhomes.com.