Clarice Chauncey, 97, of Winner, SD passed away in Omaha, NE on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021.
Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Carter Gospel Fellowship Church in Carter, SD. Burial will follow in the Winner City Cemetery. A visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to funeral service.
Clarice Loraine Chauncey was born Dec. 13,1923 to George and Coral (Hobson) Klein. She spent her childhood on their farm near Hidden Timber, South Dakota. Clarice had a lifetime love of learning, and she told of her dad taking her and her siblings to country school by horse and wagon. She graduated from Mission High School in 1941 as valedictorian of her class. After graduation, she went to six weeks of summer school where she received a permit to be a teacher.
On Aug. 14, 1943 Clarice married Leroy ‘‘Dick” Chauncey. Dick was sent to The Philippines to join the World War II effort, and they wrote letters to each other every day. The war ended, Dick was discharged, and they moved to a farm in the Hidden Timber area where they started their family. It was important to them that their family attended church, and they were part of the original founders of Carter Gospel Fellowship. Clarice once wrote that the most memorable day of her life was when Dick passed away suddenly of a heart attack on Oct. 26, 1964, and she was left as a widow caring for seven children.
Clarice returned to the classroom and was a teacher’s aid in Mission for eight years. Through the Career Opportunity Program, she was able to get her Bachelor of Arts from University of South Dakota in 1973. She then taught at country schools in Tripp and Todd County until her retirement in 1988.
After retirement, Clarice kept active spending time with grandchildren, gardening and she learned to quilt. Each of her grandchildren received one of her priceless quilts when they graduated from high school. While enjoying her retirement she was able to travel to every state except Hawaii.
Clarice loved the country and moved to town and back several times before finally staying in Winner, South Dakota. She was active in Friends of the Library, extension clubs, American Legion Auxiliary, the Winner Hospital Auxiliary, Federated Women’s Club, Retired Teachers and Carter Church.
Clarice’s love of the Lord was her motivation to serve, and she volunteered 17 summers to help cook at Victory Center Bible Camp in Fort Pierre. Many of her grandchildren attended camp there, and some even got to stay with her for a week in the summer where she took them to daily Vacation Bible School at Carter Church. It was her heart’s desire for all of her grandchildren to have a relationship with Jesus.
Clarice lived her last years at Golden Prairie Manor in Winner. As her memory faded, we all treasured the poems that she would recite from her childhood. She loved spending time with her family and her bag was always packed ready to go visit anyone who would take her with them. Her last road trip was to Omaha to stay with her daughter until God called her to her eternal home on Jan. 20, 2021.
Clarice is preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her siblings Eleanor (William) Chauncey, Clifford (Joann) Klein, Lawrence Klein, Harold (Wilma) Klein, daughter Cathleen Lyons, and two grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.
Clarice is survived by her sister Gladys Kramer, sister-in-law Jo Klein, children Elaine Meiners, Darlene (Roland) Heinert, Edward (Kathy) Chauncey, John (Kathy) Chauncey, Janice (Fud) Ferris, Donald Chauncey, son-in-law Ron Walker, 20 grandchildren, 47 great grandchildren, 18 great-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and a host of friends.
Memorials can be sent to Victory Center Bible Camp and Carter Church
Clarice’s funeral service will be live streamed for those that are unable to attend at cgfellowship.com
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