Funeral services for Vera E. Clapsaddle, age 95 of Elgin, formerly of Mobridge, will be held at 10:30am MT Monday, January 15, at the New Leipzig Baptist Church in New Leipzig, ND with Pastor Al Gaines, officiating.


Visitation will be on Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00pm at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Elgin with a family service at 8:00pm on Sunday evening.


A visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 16, from 10:00 to 11:00am CT at the First Baptist Church in Mobridge. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Mobridge with Pastor Gary Street, officiating.


Serving as casket bearers are Jack and Alex Clapsaddle, Rod Johnson, Dwight Sprenger, Tom Iverson and Reggie Pahl.


VERA ETHELYN AITCHISON was born on her parent's farm near Stilson in Hancock County, Iowa. She attended a local country school and graduated from Britt High School in 1928. She attended Britt Junior College where she earned her teaching certificate and then began teaching in a country school in that area.


On July 11, 1931, she was united in marriage to LeRoy Clapsaddle at the Little Brown Church in the Vale at Nashua, Iowa. They made their home on a farm in Hancock County. In the spring of 1942, Vera and LeRoy, along with their two sons, Darrell and Ron, moved to a farm near West Concord, Minnesota. In March of 1947, they moved to a ranch north of Wakapala, South Dakota and in 1950 moved into Mobridge. She was employed by Swartz's RX Drug Store for a couple of years. Vera served the next 25 years as Mobridge's City Treasurer "the water lady", retiring in 1976.


She was able to do some traveling. In 1957, Vera and LeRoy went to Cuba and in 1968 they went to Alaska, both trips to visit Darrell and his family. In 1973, she flew to Fairbanks, Alaska and drove back with Ron and his family as they were reassigned to Alabama. In 1974, Vera and a friend, Dorothy Derrenger traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan for her grandson Dwain's high school graduation. As long as they were on the "other side of the world," they decided to continue to travel eastward so their trip was "around the world." In 1979, Vera traveled to Israel for several days. Following that trip, she stayed closer to home, somewhat, to raise flowers, do needlepoint, and teach Sunday school.


In 1994, Vera moved to a farm near Elgin, ND with Ron and Marie. She passed from this life there on Monday, morning, January 8, 2007, after making her bed and having coffee and toast. She left her "finger prints" in a lot of places and on a lot of people.


Surviving family members include her 2 sons and daughters-in-law, Darrell and LaNett Clapsaddle, McAllen, TX; Ronald and Marie Clapsaddle, Elgin, ND; 3 grandchildren, Cheri (Rod) Johnson, Elgin, ND; Jack (Stacey) Clapsaddle, Sacramento, CA; Heather Clapsaddle, Omaha, NE; 4 great grandchildren, Alex and Corrie Clapsaddle, Sacramento, CA; Tshida and KaDee Johnson, Elgin, ND.


She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, LeRoy on December 12, 1972; 1 grandson, Dwain Clapsaddle; 2 brothers, Mervin and Clarence Aitchison; 1 sister, Emily Smith.


A memorial has been established.