Clarice E. Sheelar
Clarice Sheelar, 83,
Ruso, ND, passed away
Wednesday, March 23,
2016, at the Souris Valley
Care Center of Velva.
Clarice Elaine Miller
was born August 3, 1932,
the daughter of Alton and
Elva (Palmer) Miller, in
Westhope, ND. She
remembered that her
grandma always said,
“Clarice was brought into
this world by the same
doctor that delivered her
two sisters. They were all
born in the same house,
same room, same bed
but she couldn’t guarantee
the same sheets!” Clarice
never forgot that. The
family moved to Bot-
tineau, ND in 1934, where
they lived until 1941
when they then moved to
Velva, ND.
Clarice’s mother left the
family when Clarice was
five years old, and her
parents were divorced by
the time she was seven.
Her mother went on to
remarry and make her
home in Washington
state. Clarice spent her
5th and 8th grade years
there, attending school in
the Washington cities of
Toppenish and Outlook.
Clarice then returned to
live with her father for
her high school years.
The love bug bit early
for Clarice, and she quit
high school after her
junior year to marry
Charles “Chuck” Sheelar
on her birthday, August 3,
1949 in Towner, ND.
They lived in Ruso, ND
for about two months,
then moved to a farm east
of Ruso where they spent
54 years together. They
had seven children, 10
grandchildren, and 17
great-grandchildren.
Charles passed away
September 18, 2003.
After her husband’s
passing, Clarice sold the
farm to her oldest son and
continued living with him
until January of 2013.
Clarice then moved to the
Souris Valley Care Center
of Velva, where she
remained until the time of
her death.
Clarice was a member
of First Lutheran Church
of Ruso and Concordia
Lutheran Church of
Benedict. She also wrote
about the Ruso news for
the local newspaper.
Surviving family in-
cludes: Sons, Calvin
Sheelar, Ruso and Curtis
(Ramona) Sheelar,
Bismarck; daughters,
Cheryl (Harold) Lovro,
Norwich, Cathleen (Dick)
Schnell, Rochester, MN,
Colleen (Neal) Dimmer,
Fingal, CoAnn (Mike) Gra-
dy, Pocatello, ID and Can-
dace (Kirby) Kassenborg,
Moorhead, MN; 10
grandchildren; 17
great-grandchildren; sis-
ter, Myrna (Leonard)
Chapman, Portland, OR;
half-brother, Richard Gil-
more; half-sister, Lois
Vanderzanden, Lakewood,
WA; favorite aunt, Bettye
Palmer, Minot; and
numerous nieces,
nephews and cousins.
Clarice was preceded
in death by: her parents;
husband of 54 years,
Charles; step-father, Bert
Gilmore (whom she loved
dearly); sister, Irene Rice;
and one grandson,
Richard Charles Schnell.
Funeral: Monday,
March 28, 2016, at 10 a.m.
at Concordia Lutheran
Church, Benedict, ND.
Interment: Ruso
Cemetery, Ruso, ND.
Visitation: One hour
prior to service at the
church.
Memorials: In lieu of
flowers, donations are
preferred to the Souris
Valley Care Center of Vel-
va and the Ruso
Cemetery.
Those wishing to sign
the online register and
share memories may ac-
cess the online obituaries
section at