Ludovissy, Clara (Hefel) 1930-2010

HEFEL, LUDOVISSY, WACHENDORF, GIDDINGS, RENTZ, GOEDERS, ERRTHUM, RUDEN

Posted By: Barbara Gehlsen Nugent (email)
Date: 1/18/2014 at 08:37:16

The Telegraph Herald, Obituary, Thursday, July 29, 2010

Clara Ludovissy

Clara (Hefel) Ludovissy, 80, of Luther Manor, formerly of 3044 Kane Court, passed away at 1:44 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, 2010, at Luther Manor.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 31, at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, 60 S. Algona St. Burial will be in Immaculate Conception Cemetery, North Buena Vista, Iowa. Friends may call from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 30, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main St., where there will be a parish wake service at 3 p.m.

She was born on July 16, 1930, in North Buena Vista, daughter of Albert and Margaret (Wachendorf) Hefel.

Clara met Art Ludovissy at Melody Mill, and they were married on March 18, 1950, at Immaculate Conception Church in North Buena Vista. Art and Clara were married for 57 years before his death on Sept. 6, 2007. They lived in Buenie for a short time, then moved to Dubuque.

Clara stayed home to raise her three children. In 1969, she began working at St. Regis Paper Co. After retiring, Clara worked part time for her nephew, Jim, at James Martin Jewelers.

Art and Clara enjoyed hosting family fish fries and serving ice cream drinks at Christmas. Clara always had a candy dish full of jelly beans for herself and the grandkids, and they always had Butter Crunch ice cream cones when they visited. Art and Clara enjoyed many trips to Las Vegas over the years and they each had their own hand-held video poker games to play as they sat together in the evenings watching the Cubs.

Clara was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and a former member of Sacred Heart Parish. During her years at Luther Manor, Clara looked forward to her daily visits from family, including nieces and nephews and grandchildren, as well as Shelly and her boys.

Surviving are her children, David (Ann) Ludovissy and Ronald (Vicki) Ludovissy, both of Dubuque, and Wanda (Jeff) Giddings, of Sabula, Iowa; seven grandchildren, Chad (Sara) Rentz, Corey (Becky) Rentz, Chip Rentz, Dawn (Greg) Goeders, Jon (Stephanie) Ludovissy, Jeff (Stephanie) Ludovissy and Jeremy (Brooke) Ludovissy; three stepgrandchildren; six great-grandchildren, Jacob, Dillon and Nathan Rentz, Lauren and Claire Ludovissy and Kamryn Ludovissy; a brother-in-law, Lawrence "Pete" Ludovissy, of Dubuque and Phoenix; a sister-in-law, Jeanette Ludovissy, of North Buena Vista; and many special nieces and nephews, who were so good to Clara.

She also was preceded in death by two sisters, Frances Errthum and Nora Ruden; and four brothers, William, Ed, Frank and Al Hefel.

Memorials may be given to Hospice of Dubuque, 1670 Kennedy Road, Dubuque, IA 52002.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com .

The family would like to express their thanks to the nurses and staff at Luther Manor and Hospice of Dubuque for the wonderful care shown to Clara.