Clara E. Lund, age 103, of Wabasha, died Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at St. Elizabeth's Nursing Home in Wabasha.

She was born July 8, 1905 in Wabasha, the oldest child of eighteen, born to John and Sophie (Bootz) Wodele. She was employed at the Rochester State Hospital from 1927 until retiring in 1970. She was the medical secretary to the medical superintendent there. She married Dana Lund of Wabasha April 10, 1942 in Yuma, AZ. The couple lived in Rochester until 1958 when they moved to Sand Prairie, rural Wabasha. Mr. Lund was a custodian at the Wabasha Post Office. He died November 8, 1968.

Clara was a member of St. Felix Catholic Church and a very active member of the church's Council of Catholic Women, serving as its president and for many years as chairperson of St. Mary's Unit. She was a member of the National Catholic Order of Women Foresters and a member of St. Elizabeth's Hospital Auxiliary. She was a member of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. She was honored as secretary of the year in Rochester and in the State of Minnesota. She was also a member of the Wabasha American Legion Post #50 Auxiliary and the Burkhardt-Roemer VFW Post #4086 Auxiliary. For many years Clara was the person in charge of all banquets, wedding receptions, reunions, etc. at the VFW Post. She coordinated, planned, cooked, served and cleaned up after every function held there.

She is survived by sisters, Helen Zeimetz, Wabasha, MN, Bernice Kondro, Burbank, CA, Catherine Whitcomb, Long Beach., CA, Doris Warnken, Hudson, WI, Beatrice Beck, Penn Valley, CA; brother-in-law, Alfred Cox, Wabasha, MN; sisters-in-law, Catherine "Katie" Wodele and Anna Mae Wodele, Wabasha, MN; over 150 nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by five brothers, Harold, James, Clarence, Ralph and John Wodele and seven sisters, Harriet Wodele, Margaret Cox, Mabel Wildes, Dorine Knose, Ethel Furne, Mary Marx and Emily Ford.

A funeral Mass will be offered on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 1:30pm at St. Felix Catholic Church in Wabasha with the Reverend Glenn Frerichs officiating. Interment will be in St. Felix Cemetery. Casket bearers will be nieces, Carol Scott, Judy Knose, Claire Abbott, Gail Hartshorn, Jean Mytten, Joan Gilsrud, Kathy Schurhammer, Mary Becker, Barb Nowlan, Lori Cashman and Karen Warnken. Friends may call at the church on Saturday from 11:30am until the time of service. Memorials are preferred to St. Elizabeth's Resident Van Fund.

The Abbott Funeral Home of Wabasha is in charge of arrangements.