Clarice E. Ziebarth

Clarice Erma Ziebarth, 92 ½ years young, passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 18, in Le Sueur, MN, surrounded by family. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2024, 11 A.M. at Zion United Church of Christ in Le Sueur. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services. Interment will be in Mound Cemetery in Le Sueur. Lunch to follow the services in the church social hall. 

Clarice was born on August 10, 1931, to Albert and Helmina “Minnie” (Redning) Lindquist. She was baptized at Swan Lake Lutheran Church, Swan Lake, MN, and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Peter, MN. She was the 7th of 12 children and grew up in St. Peter, MN. She graduated from St. Peter High School in 1949 and then went on to Mankato Commercial College after high school. She moved to Le Sueur when she was 19 years old and started her secretarial career at Green Giant Company, where she met her husband of 34 years, Merlin “Merlie” Ziebarth. Clarice and Merlie enjoyed dancing, going to softball games, fishing, and playing cards with their friends. Together they had four children, Greg, Maureen “Rene”, Billy, and Colleen. On March 4, 1987, Clarice’s soulmate, Merlie, passed away.

Clarice worked at a variety of jobs throughout her lifetime, including at the Green Giant Company (as a legal secretary), the Le Center ASCS office, the Le Sueur Chamber of Commerce, the Le Sueur United Way, and at Anderson Law Office. She also enjoyed volunteering at her church, Zion United Church of Christ in LeSueur, and made many lifelong friends there. But her favorite job of all was helping her daughter, Rene, with her daycare for the last 36 years, forming a special bond with over 130 daycare children, who called her their “daycare grandma”.  She would always say that’s what kept her young all these years, spending so much time with her daycare friends; and she loved each and every one of them as her own!

In recent years Clarice’s biggest joy was spending time with her family. She was the vegetable “chopping queen”, helping Bill prep vegetables from his garden for his canned salsa recipes. She was the best at making malted milkshakes for her great-grandchildren and was always up for going out to lunch with her grandkids. She loved to make Special Kay Bars for birthdays and was always volunteering to make one of her famous hot dishes for special events. She loved to play Bananas, do puzzles, read, watch the Twins, and enjoyed a “properly prepared” Windsor Press cocktail!  Ultimately, what she loved most was sitting at the kitchen table, or on the couch at Rene’s and watching & listening to everyone interact with each other!

Clarice-Mom-Grandma-GMA will be missed dearly by all who’s path she’s crossed. She is survived by her four children – Greg Ziebarth of Washington D.C., Rene (Bill) Sinell of Le Sueur, MN, Billy (Denise) Ziebarth of Pine City, MN, and Colleen (Mark) Ladd of Bessemer, MI; her seven grandchildren – Vanessa (Pete) Breimhorst, Jeff (special friend, Jenna) Sinell, Valerie (Adam) Johannsen, Victoria (Ben) Manske, Veronica (fiancé, Easton) Sinell, Meghan (Joe) Szymkowicz, and Jeremy Poulton; and her nine great-grandchildren - Lucy, Brady, and Blake Breimhorst, Henry, Jack, and Camden Johannsen, Evelyn and Garrett Szymkowicz, and Baby Manske due in June; and many “adopted” daycare grandchildren. She’s also survived by four of her siblings, Arlene Lindquist of St. Peter, Donna Chommie of Bismarck, Dennis (Carol) Lindquist of Apple Valley, CA, and Ann Marie (James) Samson of Riverside, CA, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Merlie, her parents, and her siblings Maurine Lindquist, Doris Larson, Kenneth Lindquist, Millie Rommel, Stanley Lindquist, Grace Flowers, and Willie Lindquist.

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