Yvonne Clauson

Oct 17, 1933 -

Aug 9, 2024

With both sadness and celebration we announce the peaceful passing of Yvonne Fern Clauson in Anchorage, Alaska on August 9th, 2024 at the age of 90. We celebrate a life well-lived and the knowledge that she now resides in her eternal home with the Lord she loved and in whom she put her trust.

Yvonne was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 17th, 1933 to Fern (Roseen) Johnson and Axel Johnson; the first of three children. Yvonne was industrious from an early age and enjoyed many jobs beginning with with work in the office of a Cadillac car dealership during high school. Her propensity toward order and productivity caused her to be a highly valued employee wherever a job called. After completing High School in Skokie, Illinois in 1951, she traveled by train to join her family who had preceded her on a move to sunny California. At the time of the family's big move to the west coast, Yvonne preferred to stay in Skokie with her grandparents, Ebba and John Roseen, in order to finish high school that year at Niles High, and to enjoy a last year with friends from her youth group at Edgewater Baptist Church, friends for whom and a church for which she always carried the fondest of memories. After being settled out west, she met her future husband, Joe (Joseph) Clauson. Joe was a visiting seminary student who spoke at her church's watch-night service on New Year's Eve in Glendale, California. The following day more time was spent with him along with a group of friends at the New Year's Day Rose Parade in Pasadena. Yvonne and Joe married on October 16, 1954 and in 1958 they relocated to Tenakee Springs, Alaska (not yet a state), with their first child, Sharon, where Joe became the teacher of a one-room K-8 schoolhouse. From Tenakee they moved to Homer, Alaska where their second child, Karl, was born and from Homer to Anchorage where their third and final child, Kathleen, was born. Yvonne's strengths in orderliness, productivity and quality work made her likely the best homemaker a family could have. She never missed making a square meal, baking in abundance, and generally keeping a home in ways not many have known. Yvonne joyfully provided for the care and nurture of her own and loved opening her home to many as she entertained with meals, fellowship and fun. Yvonne and Joe were active leaders in their local churches. After building a house on Lake Lucille in 1975, they, along with two other families in the Mat-Su Valley, helped plant Wasilla Bible Church. Once her children were raised, Yvonne turned her industriousness and love for people to the sales repping world where she served many merchants and enjoyed relationships made there. One of her final and favorite work-endeavors was establishing and running a successful Bed and Breakfast on Lake Lucille. Again, her skill set was a perfect match to meeting and entertaining guests, providing impeccable accommodations and sharing interesting facts about Alaska over the world-class breakfasts she served. Her husband, Joe, joined her in this work as they were a terrific compliment to one another in this realm and both enjoyed greatly the various guests they got to know.

Yvonne's life and legacy is one of steadfast faithfulness to God, family and friends, generosity, love, joy and purpose. Yvonne is preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Joseph Clauson, her sister Marlene Johnson, her parents Axel and Fern Johnson and a number of relatives and friends. She is survived by three children and their spouses, Sharon and Jim Kohring, Karl and Junanne Clauson and Kathleen and Dave Poulin; six grandchildren, Jerilynn Kohring, Brad Kohring, Joey Kohring, Kaben Clauson, Muriel Closs and Axel Poulin; and eight great-grandchildren, Jay, Ray, Sage, Ivy, Banjo, Hunter, Lily, Ella and surely more to come; her brother and sister-in-law, Ron and Libby Johnson, dear cousins, nieces, nephews and good friends. A memorial service for Yvonne will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, September 21st at Sand Lake Baptist Church in Anchorage, Alaska. All who knew Yvonne and/or the family are encouraged to come and join us in celebrating her life well-lived! Memorial donations may be made to the ministry of Sand Lake Baptist Church, 7434 Jewel Lake Road, Anchorage, AK 99502