Clara Paulson, 90, Taylor, died peacefully on Monday, April 25, 2022 at Richardton Health Center, Richardton. Clara’s Funeral Service will be at 10 a.m., Monday, May 2, 2022 at Taylor Lutheran Church, Taylor with Pastor Stephen Backes officiating. Interment will follow at Taylor Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be on Sunday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson with a prayer service at 6 p.m.

The second of eight children, Clara was born to Sven and Eva (Carlson) Gjermundson on November 29, 1931, on her Grandpa and Grandma Carlson’s farm outside Halliday. She and her parents along with siblings lived on a neighboring farm until she was ten; Clara always cherished the time spent with her loving grandparents during those early years of her life.

Clara attended school in Halliday and at country schools in the Marshall area making many lifelong friends. She later enrolled at Dakota Lutheran High School in Minot, completed her junior and senior years there, and graduated in 1950. While a student at Dakota Lutheran, Clara asked Jesus into her heart, putting her faith and trust in Him to guide her life.

After high school, Clara fulfilled a childhood dream of becoming a teacher. She taught in various country schools for six years until she married Ingvald Oliver Paulson and moved to the Paulson family farm north of Taylor. Inky and Clara lived on the farm for fifty-eight bustling years, leaving only when flood waters forced a rooftop evacuation. They raised their six daughters, hosted countless family gatherings, and entertained their ever-expanding circle of friends.

A doting wife and loving mother, Clara poured her heart into building a beautiful family and home on the farm. She learned gardening and canning while honing exemplary skills as a baker and a cook. Among numerous delicious dishes and confections, her beef roasts, butter horns and caramel rolls are already dearly missed. Clara also learned to sew clothes and to maintain them through meticulous repairs and rigorous cleaning techniques, including judicious use of her miracle lye soap. She was intentional about taking time to instruct her daughters in these areas as well, even giving lessons in sock darning; but more importantly, she took time to share her faith, reading Bible stories and leading bedtime prayers. Through her words and deeds, Clara’s daughters learned the markers of abundant life: trusting in God, forgiving one another, helping those in need, working hard, doing the best with what one has, and loving everyone generously.

God blessed Clara with many special gifts, which she enjoyed using to bring joy to others. Clara truly gave from her heart whether sewing beautiful baby blankets for each new member of the family, making countless quilts for missions, baking scrumptious treats for her family, delivering meals to other families in grief or need, creating memory books for her grandchildren, or choosing just the right words for heartfelt notes of encouragement. She also had a wonderful gift for hospitality. When family or friends visited the farm, she made them the center of attention, and year after year, she put on splendid feasts at Christmas and on other holidays, including branding day.

Outside of family life, Clara was always actively and energetically involved in many organizations. She was a member of Ridgeway Lutheran Church, serving as Sunday School superintendent for many years; Taylor Lutheran Church; the Taylor Women’s Missionary Federation; the Dunn County Historical Society; the North Dakota Cattlewomen; and the Sons of Norway. Clara treasured her heritage and enjoyed passing Scandinavian traditions and bits of the Norwegian language to the succeeding generations.

Clara is survived by her husband of sixty-six years, Inky; her daughters, Peggy (Randy) Ressler, Julie (Jim) Haussler, Jean (James) Marcusen, Laurie Paulson, Lisa (Lynn) Gress, and DeAnn Paulson; her siblings, Sylvia (Bill) Wendland, Olga Lingle, Stanley Gjermundson, Larry Gjermundson, Paul Gjermundson, Bob (Eileen) Gjermundson, and June (Marlin) Rambousek; twenty grandchildren; and thirty-two great-grandchildren. Clara was preceded in death by her parents; brothers-in-law Clarence Hanson, Evan Lingle, and Allan Paulson; and sisters-in-law Sharon Gjermundson and Jane Paulson.