Clara Rubye Ziegler

March 8, 1924 – November 30, 2016

Clara was born in Red Rock, Oklahoma March 8, 1924 to Charles E. White and Lena [Clark] White. She was the second of three children, older brother Carl and younger brother Donald.

It was a hard life at first while her father worked for the Santa Fe Railroad as a young laborer learning the ropes, they constantly moved with the trains living in both box cars and shacks provided by the railroad from town to town. Her mother sometimes picked cotton in order to earn extra money for the family.

Clara met Hans Ziegler at Fort Riley, Kansas at the Marshall Army Airfield where he was her boss. Many planes were repaired at Fort Riley and Clara was assigned to crawl into wings to rivet and make other repairs in B-24’s because she was so small. She said she often had nightmares of being forgotten in the wing and being sealed in.

Clara left Fort Riley to attend nursing school in Baltimore, Maryland. Her nursing degree shaped her life of care-giving that included being an Ombudsman.

Clara and Hans married November 14, 1954. In 1960 they moved to Grand Junction where Clara worked at Mesa Memorial Hospital and also for Dr. Gableman and Dr. Kingston while Hans worked in the sheet metal industry.

Clara is survived by one daughter, Dawn Ziegler, and nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by Hans, her two brothers and her parents.

Clara was noted for her kindness and her dedication to organizations like Eastern Star, where she reached the office of Worthy Matron, and the Redlands Women’s Club where she was the last surviving member who took care of the historic Redlands Community Center. Clara also loved growing flowers, her vegetable garden, and birds. She also loved to cook for various events, especially with Women’s Club. Her loving heart and feisty spirit will be greatly missed.

Memorial services will be at the Redlands Community Church March 18, 2017 at 10:30 a.m.

Donations may be made to Redlands Community Church, 2327 Broadway, Grand Junction, CO 81507, HopeWest, 3090 N. 12th St., Grand Junction, CO 81506, or The Redlands Community Center, 2463 Broadway, Grand Junction, CO 8507.