Memorial services for Clara E. Nelson, age 89, of Albert Lea, will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 6, at the Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home. The Rev. Paul Aldrich will officiate. Interment will be in Union Cemetery, rural Blooming Prairie. Friends may greet the family one hour prior to the services at Bayview.

Clara died Monday, April 28, 2003, at her home in Albert Lea.

Clara E. Nelson was born Feb. 3, 1914, to August and Marie (Bartz) Hoffman in Steamboat Rock, Iowa. She lived and attended school in Iowa until her parents and four siblings moved to Hollandale in March of 1927. On Dec. 21, 1938, Clara was united in marriage to Sid Nelson. The couple lived in Blooming Prairie where Clara played the organ in their church and worked at the bakery. She was also a foster mother for many years. The couple moved to Albert Lea in 1959 and Clara worked in the cafeteria at Naeve Hospital. She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church. Clara enjoyed being active in the church, reading books, quilting, needlework and spending time with her friends.

Survivors include nephews: Barry Hoffman, Paul Schmidt, Merle Pieper, Edward Pieper and Charles Hoffman; nieces: Marsha Ebeling, Deloris Muller and Genevieve Clark; and many more nieces and nephews.

Clara was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Sid, in 1992; an infant daughter; brothers: Clarence and Carl (Bud) Hoffman; and sisters: Margaret Pieper and Josephine Schmidt.