Clarice "Kay" Adeline Weiss

Clarice “Kay” Weiss, age 102, of Colton, passed away peacefully with family present, on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at Dells Nursing and Rehab in Dell Rapids. Funeral services will begin at 1:00 PM Saturday, October 15, 2022, at Colton United Methodist Church in Colton, South Dakota. Interment will follow in the Colton Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM Friday, at the Minnehaha Funeral Chapel, Colton. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Colton United Methodist Church, Feeding South Dakota, or the Red Cross.

Clarice Adeline was born on February 23, 1920, to John and Johanna (known as Hanna) (Nelson) Swenson on the Hawk Creek Farm, near Willmar, Minnesota. She was the next to youngest of seven children and moved with her family early in life from Minnesota to Western South Dakota. She graduated from Faith High School and then attended one year at Black Hills Teacher’s College in Spearfish. Clarice married Glen Albert Weiss on June 5, 1942, in the Methodist parsonage in Sundance, Wyoming. While Glen was serving in Europe during WWII, Clarice taught country school until his return. She and Glen moved to their farm near Colton in 1946. Next came friends and family and SHEEP. She was in all ways an excellent farmer’s wife. She helped where she was needed. She could help care for the livestock, keep dinner on the table, run to town for parts and still have time to kiss a kiddo’s scraped knee, help with school work, write poetry and get the family to Church on time.

In later years, as she reflected on her life she found that her greatest accomplishment was having co-parented her four wonderful children with her husband Glen. Her greatest inspirations in life included “Family, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and dear wonderful friends”. One of the things she had learned in life and wanted to pass on to her family is to “Have hope – faith and charity for all. (She emphasized) LOVE ONE ANOTHER!! and enjoy life.”

Clarice was fond of horses, (riding and caring for them), writing poetry, cooking, attending rummage sales, and walking with friends at Taopi Hall. She and Glen enjoyed traveling together in their RV they called “Ole”. Along the way they would visit friends and family around the nation. She journeyed from Maine to California and Alaska to Florida, as well as Mexico, Canada, Norway and Sweden to name a few destinations. She was a member of the Colton United Methodist Church for 76 years and was active in the United Methodist Women, as well as American Legion Auxiliary, and the Motivators.

Throughout her life Kay had been a leader, cheerleader, and supporter of many. She could lead, but just as importantly, she knew the importance of being “a good rope-holder” to put others in a position to excel. She believed that when you teach others to fly, you soar as well. Through her friendship, teaching, parenting, and writing she encouraged countless friends, family, and acquaintances to live in a manner that reflected the values they learned from Kay. She was a wonderful woman who loved her Lord, loved her family, and loved people, the land, nature, doing good and making life better for those around her.

Clarice is survived by her children: Margaret Weiss (Mike Tramontina), Elaine (Scott) Hendrickson, Edi (Owen) Weiss Holzbauer, and Joel Weiss; grandchildren: Glenda Masteller, Elizabeth Masteller, Olivia Hendrickson, Sara Holzbauer-DeCastellanos, Aaron Holzbauer, Jonathan Weiss, Micah Holzbauer, Betsy Weiss, Anna Holzbauer, and seven great-grandchildren, Eric, Lilly, Mason, Esther, Abigail, Lauren, and Ember. She was preceded in death by her husband Glen; grandson, Jonas Hendrickson; and daughter-in-law, Carol Weiss. She was also preceded by her parents and her siblings Anna, Harland, Judy, Margaret , Mildred, and Wally.