Clara Mae (Yoder) Yoder

Clara Mae Yoder, age 87, went to be with the Lord on February 12, 2018, at her home.

Her family will conduct funeral services at the First Baptist Church of Bemidji on Saturday, February 17, at 2:00 p.m., with Clara Mae’s son, Pastor Val Yoder officiating. Viewing will be held at the First Baptist Church on Friday, February 16, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and one hour prior to the service at the church.  Burial will be in Wildwood Cemetery, Pennington, MN.  Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home assisted the family with the arrangements.

Clara Mae Yoder was born May 15, 1930 to Andrew and Katie (Schrock) Yoder in Plain City, OH. The family moved to Topeka, IN in 1945 where she met her husband, LeRoy Yoder. They were married on November 19, 1950 in Indiana then moved to northern Minnesota. Clara Mae was a devoted pastor’s wife and spent many countless hours serving alongside her husband as they raised their five children.

In the fall of 1973 the family moved to Plain City, OH where along with her full-time job of wife and mother, Clara Mae also worked as a cook in the kitchen of the Rosedale Bible Institute where her husband taught.

In 1981 they moved back to Pennington, MN although they continued to winter in OH and later PA where Clara Mae accompanied her husband when he taught at RBI and Sharon Bible Institute. She travelled many miles with her husband throughout their lives as he ministered to various churches all over the United States and Canada.

She is survived and lovingly missed by her five children, Val (Barb) of Pennington, MN; Mark (Trina) of Coweta, OK; Faith (Ed) Sommers of Plain City, OH; Hope (Dawson) Byler of Pennington, MN and Charity (Rex) Yoder-Smith of Kerrville, TX; 24 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren; siblings, Susie Keim, Charm, OH, Vera Troyer and Esther Thomas both of Goshen, IN, Clarence Yoder, Jones, MI and Mary Picard, Millersburg, OH.  Clara is preceded in death by her parents; husband, LeRoy; an infant sister; sister, Verna Rutledge; daughter-in-law, Krystal Byler Yoder; and two grandchildren, Brendan and Kayla Yoder.

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