Clarice Jeanette DeBoer

Clarice Jeanette Sanden DeBoer, 91, of Crookston, Minnesota, passed away Monday, October 9, 2023, in RiverView Health, surrounded by her loving family.

Clarice was born in Fosston, Minnesota on April 9, 1932, the daughter of Roy and Anna (Hillesland) Sanden. While being raised on the Brown farm near Mahnomen, Minnesota, Clarice attended a country grade school and graduated from Mahnomen High School. After graduation, she moved to Crookston and was employed at the local J.C. Penney store. Clarice soon met Claire DeBoer and they were united in marriage June 21, 1953 at First Lutheran Church in Mahnomen. The young couple raised their five children in a very loving home and farmed in the Crookston area for 50 years. Shortly prior to the celebration of their 50^th wedding anniversary, Claire passed away on June 4, 2003.

Clarice and Claire were devoted members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Crookston. Clarice belonged to the church’s quilters guild and taught Sunday school for several years.

Throughout her life, Clarice excelled at researching, gathering and sharing the family’s genealogy. Her favorite pastimes included quilting, sewing and needlework which she generously shared with many family and friends. She knit beautiful caps for newborns, donating hundreds to the hospital. In appreciation for her contribution of volunteerism and service, Clarice was awarded the Riverview Auxiliary 2019 Heart and Soul Award. She never wanted nor sought recognition for doing something that meant so much to her. She was an avid bird watcher and loved feeding and identifying birds. She enjoyed wildlife of all kinds, squirrels not so much! Reading, baking goodies, gardening, and writing letters to family and friends also filled her daily life with joy.

Clarice is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law:  Curtis (Mary) DeBoer and Gerald (Karen) DeBoer of Crookston, and Duane (Jodie) DeBoer of Erskine. Her surviving two daughters and son-in-law are Kathy (Steve) Quamme of Bemidji and Barb Forrest of Detroit Lakes. Her 14 grandchildren are Sarah Noble, Jeremy (Heather) DeBoer, Amy (Greg) Wymer, Tom (Annie) DeBoer, Katie (Eric) Tuchscher, Nate (Miriam) DeBoer, Allison (Ryan) Kill, Jami (James) Mathews, Aaron (Shanna Krogh) Quamme, Philip Quamme, Emily Quamme, Rachel (Jesse Bartole) Forrest, Ben Forrest and Matt Forrest; and 24 great-grandchildren named Stacia, Micah, Joshua, Heidi, Anya, Jacob, Mackenzie, Leah, Benjamin, James, Kaitlin, Eliza, Soren, Joanna, Anna, Emma, Aubrie, Gretta, Ethan, Camilla, Addison, Grasyn, Avery, and Elsie.

Clarice also leaves a brother and sister-in-law, Dale (Sandee) Sanden, and two sisters-in-law, Corrine Sanden and Dianne Sanden. From Claire’s family, she is survived by his two sisters, Vivian Berg and Pearl Radi, and sister-in-law Colene DeBoer, as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

In addition to her beloved husband, Claire, she was preceded in death by an infant daughter born December 1965, her parents, two brothers, LeRoy and Boyd Sanden, and three sisters and two brothers-in-law: Randi Wendt, Verna (Alf) Eide and Ruth Ann (Jack) Kennedy. She was preceded in death by Claire’s parents, Frank K. and Una DeBoer, his sister, Jean Solheim and brother, Francis (Franny) DeBoer and his three brothers-in-law Les Radi, Everett Solheim and Allan Berg.

A funeral service will be held to honor Clarice at 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 20, 2023, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Crookston, with Pastor Greg Isaacson officiating. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service. The funeral will be livestreamed by going to Clarice’s obituary page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view. Burial will take place in the Oakdale Cemetery, Crookston.