05/14/1981
Lester Henry Claussen, 74, of 304 E. Third St., Pella, died May 14 at his home.
He was born Jan. 30, 1907 in Iowa City to Henry W. and Anna Fink Claussen. He attended Newton and Knoxville schools, and graduated from Knoxville High School in 1927. He then went into his father's meat market business.
He married Irene Cooper Aug. 20, 1930 in Brainerd, Minn., and the couple had one daughter, Sonja Sue. He began working for Klyn and De Winter Meat Market in Pella in 1938, and in 1940 they moved to Pella.
He worked at Ulrich Meat Market for several years, and in 1947 he and John Ver Heul bought the business, which he continued to operate until he retired in 1972.
Surviving are his wife Irene; his daughter Sonja and her husband Richard Jones of Pella; two grandchildren: Vincent Paul Jones of Des Moines and Roxanne (Mrs. Galen) Van Zee of Pella, and three great-grandchildren: Stephen Joseph Jones, Richard Lee Jones and Mary Elizabeth Van Zee.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Edward H. Claussen, who died in 1976.
He was a member of First Baptist Church in Pella, of Pella Masonic Lodge No. 55 A.F. and A.M., of Za Ga Zig Shrine of Des Moines and of I.O.O.F.
Of Knoxville.
He was a booster of the Central Club of Central College. With John Ver Heul he yearly awarded the Schilder Blanket to the most valuable football player of the year.
Services were held Saturday at the chapel of Van DykDuven Funeral Home in Pella. Burial was in Graceland Cemetery in Knoxville.