Obituary of Jean A. Clauson

Jean Audrey Clauson, 63, of Bemus Point, died Saturday, July 16th at 4:35 a.m. in WCA Hospital after a courageous four and a half year battle against ovarian cancer. Born May 27, 1948 in Jamestown, she was the daughter of the late Arthur Elias and Audrey Swanson Clauson. In addition to her parents, Jean was predeceased by her infant sister, Joyce April. After graduating from Maple Grove High School in 1966, she attended SUNY at Fredonia where she majored in elementary education. She taught in Ripley for one year before returning to Fredonia to complete her Masters and certification as a reading specialist. She then taught children of migrant workers in Dunkirk before joining the teaching staff at Silver Creek in 1974 as an elementary teacher and then as a reading teacher in both middle and high school. Jean had a special gift for taking students who were having trouble passing the English regents and giving them the tools to get through their exams. She was also co-founder of the still popular Middle School Book Club. Jean retired in September 2004. Jean enjoyed travel. Her most dramatic trips were to Santiago, Chile to adopt her daughter Joy, now 22 and to Yekaterinburg, Siberia to adopt her son Jeffrey, now 13. After her own successful experiences, Jean helped many area couples through the adoption process. Jean was an active member of the First Lutheran Church of Jamestown where her grandparents from Sweden and her parents attended. In addition to her daughter Joy and son Jeffrey, she is survived by her brother, James Clauson, his wife, Janet and their children, John and Jane, of Crownsville, Maryland; two aunts, Elsie Colander and Ruth Joslyn of Jamestown and many cousins; and her faithful friend and pet, Elmo. Jean will be missed by her family and her many loving friends who were also like family to her. The funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday at First Lutheran Church. The Rev. Daniel K. Nagle will officiate. Burial will be in Fluvanna Cemetery. Friends will be received from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Lind Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Lutheran Church, 120 Chandler St., Jamestown, NY 14701; or to the Fluvanna Volunteer Fire Department, 3536 Fluvanna Ave. Ext., Jamestown, NY 14701.