In Memory of Associate Clara Ernst

Associate Clara Ernst passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 30, 2025. She shared 40 years of marriage with her husband Lawrence before his passing on October 11, 1995. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Clara centered her life around faith, family, and service. Clara gave generously of her time to her community—serving on the Library Board, working at the local voting precinct, and visiting the homebound. She also held several jobs through the years, including managing the Bellevue Senior Center, cooking for the hot lunch program at Marquette Catholic Schools, and delivering papers for the Telegraph Herald.

Clara made her initial commitment to the Presentation Associate Partnership on November 11, 2014, alongside her daughter Jean Lange and son-in-law Jeff Lange. In her request for initial commitment, Clara wrote, “My religious education was two weeks of summer school taught to me every summer by the Presentation Sisters. I could not imagine a more worthy call than being a sister! Being a Presentation associate just seems like a good fit for me.”

Clara found joy in gathering with friends for games of euchre, sewing, cooking, and most especially spending time with her family. While she loved her home, she was also up for adventures. She visited places as far away as Italy, Canada, France and New York City, and places closer to home like Fireside Theater in Wisconsin and trips to Spillville and Algona, Iowa to see churches and other sacred sites. Always one to appreciate her heritage and ancestors, she also made a “trip-of-a-lifetime” to Germany to meet and visit her family still living there.

She will be remembered for too many things to list here, but especially for her unwavering faith, kind heart, wisdom, sense of humor, and the love she shared with all who knew her.

For full obituary, visit: https://www.hachmannfuneralhome.com/obituaries/clara-brehm-ernst