Clayton Pedersen Passes at Age 89

Clayton E. Pedersen, 89, of St. Paul, passed away unexpectedly at the Howard County Medical Center in St. Paul on Monday, January 16, 2023.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at Jacobsen-Greenway- Dietz Funeral Home in St. Paul. Reverend Steven Neal officiated. Special music included “I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry,” “One Day at a Time,” and “Happy Trails.” Interment was at the Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul. Pallbearers were Dan Cook, Tanner Nielsen, Nick Cook, Jared Cook, Tiffany Kaiser, and Lance Weber.

Clayton Emil Pedersen was born on September 9, 1933 to Emil and Elnor (Christensen) Pedersen on a farm southwest of Wolbach in Howard County. Later, the family moved to a farm north of Wolbach. Clayton first attended the rural school, until the family moved west of Wolbach. He finished his schooling in the rural area. Clayton was the only boy amongst six sisters.

In 1955, he worked for the Co-Op Creamery of Wolbach and, later, in 1958 he worked for the Chicago Lumber Company in Wolbach.

He married Geraldine (Gdantz) in Elba on May 2, 1959. They have three daughters: Teresa, Lorraine, and Louise. They farmed three miles east of Wolbach and started raising Limousine-Angus cattle. Clayton became a member of the North American Limousine Cattle Foundation in November of 1981. Clayton became an active member of the Bluebirds Across Nebraska, along with his wife, Geraldine, in 1998. Both of them became coordinators for Greeley County on October 30, 2001. Together, the couple enjoyed dancing to polkas and waltzs.

He was the custodian at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolbach from 1966 until the time the couple moved to St. Paul.

His hobbies included working cattle with his dog, “Pup”, riding horses, breaking colts, camping, and fishing. He was referred to as the “Repair Man,” because he could fix just about anything. He was a talented woodworker and will forever be remembered by his grandchildren when they see the barns he made for each of them. He was the grandpa who would play baseball with his grandchildren any chance he got.

Clayton belonged to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and was a past member of the Stuhr Museum and Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolbach.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Geraldine; daughters and sons-in-law, Teresa and Tim Nielsen of Buffalo Gap, South Dakota, Lorraine and James Cook of Fullerton, and Louise and David Weber of Iowa; sister, Kathryn Dubas of Palmer; grandchildren, Dan Cook, Tanner Nielsen, Nick Cook, Jared Cook, Tiffany Kaiser, and Lance Weber; great-grandchildren, Bo Vand Vorste, Ryan Cook, Dillion Fitzgerald, Taylor Cook, Kimber Kaiser, Landon Weber, Bryce Cook; grand-pups, Jasper, Bandit, Scotty, and Sheeba; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Clayton was preceded in death by his parents, Emil and Elnor Pedersen; sisters, Shirley Lanka, Joan Christensen, Lola Sperling, Phyllis Gebhardt, and Lorraine Wozniak.