PIERRE, SD  – A woman of strong faith and immense grace, Clara Shelbourn went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on February 21, 2024, at Edgewood in Pierre with her children at her side. A prayer service will be held Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at Isburg Funeral Home with visitation from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. prior to the service. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 2, at 10:30 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Pierre with burial to follow at Riverside Cemetery. For those unable to attend the service it will be live streamed in the link provided below.

Clara Annette Kellner Shelbourn was born in Valentine, Nebraska on April 23, 1932 to Ernst (Ernest) Ferdinand and Emma Nancy (Duering) Kellner. She was the youngest of 3 children. She grew up in Valentine living directly across from the schools she attended. She graduated from Valentine High School as the salutatorian of her class in 1950. She worked at the Bank of Valentine following graduation.

She met the love of her life, Dan Shelbourn, when he was 20 and she was 14 at a neighborhood box social. He never forgot her and they reconnected when she was 18 and he was 24. They married on June 8, 1952, in Valentine, Nebraska and they were blessed with two children. They lived on the family farm after marrying. Having never lived on a farm Clara adjusted quickly to the life of a farm wife receiving much loving advice from Dan’s mother. Dan’s health issues forced to them to leave the farm in 1957 and find different employment. His job with the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks found them living in Lemmon and Pierre, SD.

A life-long love of the Black Hills developed early on. She and Dan began camping in 1956 and that became an annual event for the rest of their lives. Life-long friendships developed over many shared camping trips. Having only two grandchildren they took them and many of their friends camping each summer. They treasured this time with them and many memories were lovingly created from these activities. It was a sad day for them when they sold their beloved motorhome in 2016.

Clara was an extraordinary secretary and highly praised for her skills. She took great pride in knowing shorthand and used it frequently. She worked as a secretary in schools in Lemmon and Pierre, at the Central South Dakota Education foundation, and at the South Dakota Education Association. After retirement she worked 15 sessions with the South Dakota Legislature as the secretary for the House Majority Leader.

Dan retired in 1988 and Clara retired one year later. In their retirement they traveled extensively having visited all of the states except Hawaii. A 10 week trip to Alaska was a highlight of their adventures. They traveled in Europe, England, and Scandinavia and treasured the memories and friendships made during those visits.

She and Dan attended nearly all of their son’s and grandchildren’s sporting events cheering them on from the sidelines. They were both avid Governor green supporters and attended many games and state tournaments even when their grandchildren were not involved. A true Nebraskan at heart, she was also a lifelong supporter of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Clara was known for her baking skills, especially her pies. Starting in 1982 she and Dan made scores of apple pies every fall. The most they made in one fall was 112. Those, along with her wonderful rhubarb custard pies, were always shared with family and friends and lovingly placed in freezers to be enjoyed later.

Both Clara and Dan were active members of Faith Lutheran Church in Pierre, and prior at churches in Valentine and Lemmon. Self-taught, Clara was an organist for many years in all of those churches until her arthritis prevented her from doing so. She was active in choir and bell choir, retiring from both in 2016 at the age of 84. She was a 50+ year member of Faith Circle whose members she considered family. Clara’s priority in her life was her faith, and she enjoyed sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ with many.

Clara is survived by her children Ken Shelbourn and Nancy Shoup both of Pierre; grandchildren Katie (Josh) Nebelsick of Rapid City and Jacob (Chezarae) Shoup of Sioux Falls, and great-grandchildren William, Oliver, Joseph, and Franklin Nebelsick, and Elsie and Isaiah Shoup, brother-in-law Alan (Karen) Shelbourn of Kingston, WA; sister-in-law Annie Shelbourn of Jackson, MN and many nieces and nephews, as well as a host of dear friends. She was preceded in death by her husband Dan of nearly 67 years in 2019, her parents, brother Don and his wife Dorothy, sister Lydia and husband Marion, and an unnamed baby sister who died at birth, son-in-law Bob Shoup, and Dan’s siblings and spouses Joe and Ruth, Marjorie, Merle, and Ann and Tom Harvey.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Faith Lutheran Church or Avera Home Health and Hospice both in Pierre.

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