Clazine Henrietta Engelsman, daughter of Charles and Nellie (Groeneveld ) Schemper, was born May 9, 1918, near Long Island, Kansas. She was the oldest of four children including her twin brother. She died April 2, 2022, at the Phillips County Retirement Center, Phillipsburg, Kansas at the age of 103.
Clazine grew up on a farm north of Prairie View, and attended grade school at Willowdale School #69. She went to high school in Prairie View for three years, boarding with different families, but drove to Long Island her senior year, graduating from there in 1936. She enjoyed learning and was the only one of her family to graduate from high school. After graduation she was offered and accepted the teacher’s position at Willowdale School for two years. That was followed by four years of working as deputy county treasurer for Phillips County. Clazine quit shortly before her marriage, because at that time married women typically didn’t work outside the home.
Clazine married John Engelsman on March 31, 1943 and they lived on his family farm southwest of Prairie View. To this union, six children were born: Marcia, Kenneth, James, Cheryl, Lois and Rodney. Clazine was an active member of the Luctor Christian Reformed Church and encouraged her children in their spiritual lives. She taught Sunday School, held offices in the Ladies Aid Society, and participated in various other church activities.
In 1962 she was asked to help out at the Farmers State Bank in Stuttgart where she worked until 1979. John and Clazine moved off the farm and into Prairie View in 1974 and Clazine got involved in various community activities – supporting the library, Prairie View Centennial, the Koffee Huis, and the Community Center.
Clazine moved to Westview Homes in Phillipsburg in 2007 and after an illness moved to the Phillips County Retirement Center in 2011.
Clazine was preceded in death by her parents, husband John, infant daughter Cheryl , twin brother Alfred, sisters Irene Klomp, Harriett Young and Ken’s wife Shirley. She is survived by brother in law Robert Young, children Marcia (Tom) Heersink, Ken, Jim (Connie), Lois (Mike) Thiede and Rod (Shawna), eleven grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 5th, 2022, at the Luctor Christian Reformed Church with Pastor Shawn Richardson officiating. Burial will follow in the Luctor Cemetery.
Mrs. Engelsman will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, April 4th, 2022, at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Services, Inc. or Phillips County Retirement Center.