Clare (Stroda) Greteman was born February 11, 1931 in Hope, Kansas to Emanuel Leo Stroda and Clara Mary (Hytrek) Stroda.
A private funeral service will be held at on Wednesday, June 23, 2020 at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll with Fr. Tim Johnson officiating. Casket bearers will be Clare’s grandchildren.
A public graveside service will be held at 11:30 A.M. on Wednesday, June 23, 2020 at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll.
Those in attendance at the cemetery are asked to abide by Covid – 19 social distancing guidelines.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Iowa Right to Life and may be mailed to: The family of Clare Greteman, P.O. Box 707, Carroll, Iowa, 51401.
A recording of Clare’s funeral will be on the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home’s YouTube channel and may be viewed by clicking on the link on her tribute page at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com
Clare grew up on a farm with her twin brothers and sister on the Kansas prairie near Abilene. She often reminisced to her family about her de-scented pet skunk, Sunk, and white Angora cat. Living on the farm taught Clare the value of hard work, and in 1954, she used her work ethic to earn an RN degree in Nursing from Marymount College in Salina.
In 1953, Clare went on a double-date with friends including Robert (Bob) Greteman. While they did not start the double-date as a couple — frankly Clare did not think very much of Bob that afternoon — Clare and Bob were meant for each other. They were married on September 18, 1954 in Abliene, Kansas. This union started a wonderful family of eleven children, all of whom were unconditionally loved by Clare.
Clare’s kitchen was the heart of the household that included a table large enough to seat a dozen if everyone squeezed next to each other. She loved cooking food for her entire family, which was not a small feat especially as her family grew larger. She was famous for her homemade fried chicken, party potatoes, and crockpot corn. Everyone’s favorite recipes included Grandma Clare’s chicken and dumplings, red velvet cake, and the annual gift of Vienna bread during the holiday season.
Over the years, Clare’s background in nursing came in handy when her children and grandchildren required bandaging. She was an artistic person who loved to collect beautiful things. Her home was filled with various depictions of cardinals, one of her favorite birds, as well as paintings of her own and her brother-in-law, James. She was devoted to the Right to Life cause and her cat, Rosie, who would trot over to Clare’s chair whenever she called “num nums”.
Most of all, Clare was devoted to her family. She was a gift-giver who gave thoughtful gifts to her children and grandchildren. She always had an Easter basket with each family member’s name on it in the spring and a big bag of homemade chex mix around Christmastime. Clare’s family was her most-precious life achievement.
Clare is survived by her children Jan (Alan Raxter) Greteman of Sierra Madre, CA, Joe (Sherry) Greteman of Carroll, David Greteman of Carroll, Katie (Pat) Hagan of Boone, Matt (Peggy) Greteman of Carroll, Amy (Mike) Fitzgerald of Kansas City, MO, Dan (Ree) Greteman of West Des Moines, Tim (Angela) Greteman of West Des Moines, Chuck of Urbandale, and Aaron (Tricia) Greteman of Algona. Her sisters-in-law Julia Greteman and Kyeong Stroda. Her nieces and nephews. Her 25 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Her beloved cat, Rosie.
Clare is preceded in death by her husband, Robert C. Greteman. Her son, Victor Greteman. Her daughter-in-law, Debbie Greteman. Her grandchildren, John Paul, Rachel, and Daniel. Her parents, Emanuel Stroda and Clara (Hytrek) Stroda. And her siblings and siblings-in-law, Mary (James) Wesley, Matthew Stroda, Michael (Mary) Stroda.
