Clarann Winslow Obituary (1934

Clarann Winslow passed away on November 11, 2024 . Clarann Lee Bekman was born June 1, 1934 on the family farm north of Schaller, Iowa. She was the only child of Leo and Clara Bekman. In 1939, the family moved to Ida Grove, Iowa where they opened and operated the last fresh milk dairy in Iowa. Clarann attended the Ida Grove Public Schools from kindergarten through high school earning valedictorian recognition. She was granted a merit scholarship and graduated from the University of Iowa with high distinction in three years with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce. In 1954, she was married to Wayne R. Winslow, an engineering graduate of the university. To meet the demands of her husband’s engineering work, the family was frequently transferred, living in Newton, Ida Grove, Cedar Rapids, and Waterloo, Iowa; Overland Park, Kansas; and Omaha, Nebraska. In Omaha, she taught Accounting at Westside High School for 25 years. She sponsored the largest Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter in Nebraska, and coached students who excelled at the local, state, and national level as officers and competitors. After opting for early retirement, she returned to Westside to develop, incorporate, and administer the service learning graduation requirement for the high school. In 1999 the Winslows moved to Blair, Nebraska to assist with the care of their grandsons for their physician parents. Known as Grandma, she continued her interest in education and in working with young people, volunteering in various capacities in the Blair Public Schools as needed. She was a member of the Blair First United Methodist Church, and a 50+ year member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and Order of the Eastern Star. Clarann was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 61 years, Wayne, and infant son, Robert. Surviving family members include son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Cassandra Winslow of Soldotna, Alaska, daughter and son-in-law, Jean and John Simonson of Blair, Nebraska, and grandchildren, Thomas Simonson, Matthew Simonson, Danika Winslow, and Isaak Winslow. A private family service will be held with burial in the Ida Grove Cemetery beside the Winslows’ son Robert and overlooking the farm where the Bekman family lived and operated their dairy. Memorials suggested to Crowell Memorial Home, 245 S. 22nd St, Blair, NE.