Celebrating Clara Dentz

Here is Clara on the back of the motorcycle!

Adelia Clara was born on December 24, 1905, in Springhill, MN, to Joseph and Rose (Winter) Laubach. She was the second of twelve children being brought up on a traditional German farm. Clara started school at age seven, when they were living in Brooten, MN. Being brought up in the early 1900’s, Clara remembered riding home from church in a horse-drawn buggy, kneading loaves upon loaves of bread with her mom, tending to the animals and helping her dad in the fields. These life experiences she held dear to her heart and was able to tell over again throughout the years.

In 1919, Clara and her family packed into one car and made the long trip to Mahnomen, settling on a small farm south of town. After Clara finished her daily fieldwork, she attended the Jaeger School House where she had to learn to speak English.



On June 3, 1923, Clara was united in marriage to Albert Dentz at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Mahnomen. To their marriage they were blessed with five lovely children, whom over the years proved to keep Clara quite busy.



During World War II, she spent a short period of time in Minneapolis working for Munsingware, sewing uniforms for the soldiers. Upon her return she continued to care for her children as well as other family members, and also worked various jobs. A few of those jobs included: candling eggs at Bastyr’s Produce, doing childcare, working at the Mahnomen County Treasures Office and cleaning the doctor’s office in town. To sum things up, Clara was always eager to learn new things and meet new people.



In 2004, Clara commented, “I have more fun now than I did when I was a girl.” She proved this through her many adventures – even going for her first motorcycle ride at the spry age of 95 and every year thereafter. Clara loved life and through her many activities and hobbies taught others to love one another. She enjoyed spending time outdoors as a youngster and in later years kept busy crocheting, cooking and entertaining. Others found comfort in her baked goods, especially the breads she made from scratch. From fresh rolls to kolaches, kneading bread was an art she carried with her from years past and performed with grace. Clara was also quite the jokester, saying from time to time that “laughter was the spice of life.” To that she brought many years of love and laughter to her family and friends. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends and the many lives she touched in her 102 years. Clara will forever be remembered as a peacemaker, caregiver and wonderful friend. Simply put…to know her was to love her.




Clara was a lifelong member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church, St. Michael’s Ladies Aide, Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court St. Justin 2020, National Catholic Society of Foresters Court 342, the Mahnomen VFW Auxiliary and American Legion Auxiliary.



Clara is survived by one son, Gerald (June) Dentz, Minot, ND; two daughters, Sister Rosella Dentz and Mary Ann Dentz, both of Mahnomen; eight grandchildren: Steve (Barbara) Dentz, Carnation, WA; Donald (Sharon) Dentz, North Bend, WA; Denise (Rod) Mayer, Minot, ND; Sharon (Mark) Johnson, Monroe, WA; Robert (Angela) Dentz, Bonnie Lake, WA; Julie (Tim) Nudell-Pierce, Horace, ND; Sheila Nudell, Fargo, ND, and Jeffrey LaPointe, San Diego, CA; sixteen great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Rose Bartholomew, Andover, MN; and Esther Greer, Eagen, MN.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert, in 1980; one daughter, Dolores Nudell; one son, Albert Jr.; a grandson, Mark Dentz; four sisters: Sophie, Philomene, Helen and Marie; five brothers: William, Stephen, Edmund, Dominic and David.



Blessed be the memory of Clara Dentz.



Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 4, 2008, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Mahnomen. Visitation will take place at St. Michael’s Catholic Church on Thursday, April 3, 2008, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., with a prayer service at 6:30 pm and a rosary to follow. Burial will be in St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery in Mahnomen.