Clarence Strand, age 91, ascended into heaven on 12/4/20 to be joyously rejoined with his previously departed family members and friends. Clarence was surrounded by his loving family during his final moments in this Earthly realm. Clarence was the beloved husband and soul mate of Florence J. (Fenske) Strand for 59 glorious, harmonious and blissful years! They were married in St. John’s Lutheran Church in Rice Lake, WI on May 13, 1961. Clarence was also the loving and dedicated father of Julie Haughian-Bernard (Ron,) and Jim Strand (Jeanne). Clarence is survived by his youngest brother Ronald Strand (Nancy,) as well as by his sister-in-law Lorraine Cimfl and brother-in-law Raymond Fenske (Rosemary).

Clarence was deeply cherished in the hearts of his two children as well as by his grandchildren (Natalie Madaus [Justin.] Jackie Greiner, Dawn Decker, Kathryn Sanchez [Jordan] and Tom Haughian. Clarence was also blessed with six awesome great grandchildren (Bella, Hailey, Bradley, Samantha, Kaylee and Joe) along with one more on the way! Like his father before him, Clarence reveled in every opportunity that he had to engage in some laughter and fun with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and he always had a “twinkle” in his eyes when doing so!

Clarence was born in the Doyle Township in Wisconsin on May 15, 1929 to Olga and Norman Strand as the eighth of ten children. From his earliest years, Clarence displayed an unending love and devotion to his family and friends, and he exhibited a phenomenal and encyclopedic knowledge of the history of his and his wife’s family as well as every family that lived in the Doyle Township! Clarence was also able to name every single U.S. President (in the order that they served in office,) and he thoroughly enjoyed engaging in conversations about Baseball and Boxing matches from the past.

Clarence grew up during the Great Depression (1929) and the Dust Bowl years of the 1930’s when times were hard and money was scarce. On the farm, he learned the importance of reusing and recycling and having respect for the gifts that were provided by Mother Nature. Clarence also never forgot the importance of being thankful and appreciative that they had food on the table, clothes on their backs and a roof over their heads! These lessons stuck with him for life, and he was decades ahead of the times as he consistently reduced waste, recycled items and collected rainwater for his huge garden. Clarence always endeavored to remind his family of the importance of maintaining a connection to, and respect for, nature and the planet. Clarence enjoyed working with his hands so you could always find him working outside in both the yard as well as in the garden. He also loved to take things apart and salvage the useful pieces. His garage doubled as a true Hardware store, and he was always eager and happy to assist others with their projects by supplying them with items such as nuts, bolts, washers, screws, nails, hinges, springs and brackets, etc. free of charge!

Clarence worked on his parent’s farm until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951, serving two years during the Korean War. After his military service, he worked for the Central Cheese Factory until 1961 and they produced award winning 150-200 pound wheels of Swiss cheese among other types. Many sought the delicious Swiss cheese, and orders came in from around the country. In June of 1961, Clarence began working for Birchwood Manufacturing in Rice Lake and he dedicated his skills and expertise to this employer for 34 years until his retirement in July of 1995. During his incredible career at Birchwood Manufacturing, he never missed a single day of work except for family funerals! He even persevered and worked through double pneumonia! His work ethic, dedication and expertise served his employer well! Clarence also demonstrated his positive work ethic and attention to detail when he began to expertly dig graves at many local area cemeteries and mow the lawn at the cemetery in Campia as well! Clarence’s respect for those who had passed as well as for their families was evident in how pristine the ground and area looked when his job was completed. He took pride in making sure that a gravesite was returned to its former appearance, that sunken gravestones were straightened and that the grass was well manicured and cared for! Clarence also enjoyed socializing with others over coffee, a sandwich or pastry at Leroy’s Bakery, Hardee’s, McDonald’s or Burger King. He had a wonderful sense of humor and truly enjoyed spending time with friends and engaging in some playful bantering with the workers! Clarence loved to laugh and he believed that it was an essential part of life. Clarence also loved to play cards (500, Dirty Clubs and Pinochle) and he had a phenomenal and uncanny ability to remember what cards were played and who was likely holding certain cards against him. Win or lose, he simply loved to play cards for hours on end! Clarence also enjoyed going to auctions, and Florence and him picked up some truly wonderful and useful items! Clarence and Florence also had a great deal of fun over the years taking a plethora of bus trips all around the country, and they even went to Hawaii! Clarence thoroughly enjoyed Hawaii and he commented on how wonderful the pace of life there was, as well as how remarkable it was to be able to take your time crossing a street without any worry of being hit by a vehicle.

Clarence was also happy to regale his family members and friends with a wide variety of interesting and fun stories from his richly, rewarding life. His family will always treasure the golden memories of these stories and their meanings and lessons! Clarence was a truly great husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and teacher of many valuable lessons to his family members! Clarence was preceded in death by his parents (Norman & Olga,) five sisters (Inez, Betty [Monty,] Edina [Bill,] Gloria [Fritz,] Karen [Dean,) three brothers (Morris [Lolita,] Gordon [Betty,] Myron [Maureen] and one son-in-law (Wayne Haughian).

A private service will be held. Burial will be in Nora Cemetery. Military Honors accorded by the Rice Lake Veterans Center Honor Guard

Skinner Funeral Home of Cumberland/ Turtle Lake is serving the family.

Last Update: Dec 08, 2020 6:15 am CST