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Submitted: 9/13/22 • Approved: 9/13/22 • Last Updated: 9/16/22 • R274737-G274630-S3
BIRTH
26 Jun 1922
DEATH
24 Sep 2021 (aged 99)
BURIAL
Hills of Rest Memorial Park
Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, USA
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Signey Margaret Claussen was born on a farm near Colton, SD, on June 26, 1922 to Soren and Magda (Ostebo) Ostraat, immigrants from Sandnes and Stavanger, Norway. When she was five years old her family moved to a farm north of Canton, SD. Her elementary education took place at one-room country schools Bailey District #6 and Sunnyside District #5. She was confirmed at Canton Lutheran Church. Signey graduated from Canton High School in 1940 where she was elected Homecoming Queen in 1939. The summer after her graduation she began attending Nettleton Commercial College.
She met Chuck when she was a senior at Canton High School. They began dating the summer after she graduated. Since Chuck was a good dancer, most of their dates were to dances at the Arkota Balloom in Sioux Falls. They married on April 11, 1943 at Canton Lutheran Church.
When Chuck entered the U.S. Navy in 1944, he was stationed at Farragut Naval Training Station in Idaho. Signey joined him there and they lived in the Sun Valley area where she was employed as a typist in the Personnel Department of the Naval Rehabilitation Hospital. They returned to South Dakota in 1946.
Chuck and Signey farmed in the Harrisburg area until 1952. When Chuck decided to finish his degree at South Dakota State College, the couple and their two children—Ron and Sandi—moved to Brookings. Signey began working as the secretary for the Director of Admissions, and later got a job as secretary for the Army ROTC Department.
After Chuck's graduation in 1957 they returned to Sioux Falls. Signey was employed as a Ward Secretary at the Veterans Administration Hospital for 13 years and then as Secretary to the Finance Officer until she retired in July 1982.
In September 1959, the family moved into their newly constructed house on 20 acres of bare land west of Sioux Falls on the Tea-Ellis Road, where Signey lived until the time of her death. Following their retirements, Chuck and Signey's passion for raising flowers grew and they enjoyed maintaining over 30 flower beds of roses, iris, daylilies, peonies, other perennials, annuals and fruit trees. In 2003 she and Chuck were recognized for their generous floral contributions to McCrory Gardens at South Dakota State University in Brookings.
Signey was a charter member of Peace Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls in 1965 and was president of the Peace Lutheran Church Women. She participated in Ladies Circles, led Bible Study groups, served on several pastoral selection committees, sang in the choir and participated in other church committees and activities.
Signey was also active in the Crossroads Extension Club, Sioux Valley Rose Society, Sioux Empire Iris Society and Order of the Eastern Star. Later in life she also sold Avon products. She enjoyed sewing, rosemaling, doing crossword puzzles and reading magazines.
Signey passed away in her home on Friday, September 24, 2021 at the age of 99.
Grateful for having shared her life are her son, Ronald "Ron" Claussen, Sioux Falls, SD; daughter Sandra "Sandi" (Terry) Jaspers, Sisseton, SD; granddaughters, Anna (Sang) Kwon of Sioux Falls, SD, Sara (John Nieters) Jaspers of St. Louis, MO, Erin (Mike) Koeppe of Oxbow, ND, and Lisa Jaspers, Aberdeen, SD; great-grandchildren Jaeden Wethington, Jensen and Taeyon Kwon of Sioux Falls, SD, and Emilynn, Cade and Tessa Koeppe of Oxbow, ND.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Charles "Chuck"; her parents, Soren and Magda Ostraat; her siblings (Johan) Myron Ostraat, Opal Schneiderman, Evelyn Wierenga and Elaine Thompson; and her goddaughter Sharon (Schneiderman) Schaefer.
The family will greet friends from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, October 1, 2021 at Miller Westside Funeral Chapel. A private interment will be held at the Hills of Rest Cemetery on Saturday, October 2, 2021, followed by a memorial service for friends and family at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at Peace Lutheran Church.
Memorials may be directed to Peace Lutheran Foundation or Lutherans Outdoors in SD.
Contributed on 9/13/22 by rsdake
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Record #: 274737