Ramona Rose Claude, 93, ascended to heaven on April 28, 2024. Ramona was born on April 7, 1931, to Howard and Katie Anderson in Centuria, Wisconsin. Living in Centuria, she grew up attending Eureka Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School and vacation Bible school. She attended normal school, achieving a teaching degree. She met Jim Claude at Sunday school when they were 5 years old and attended a two-room school where they were in the same classroom every other year. They married on Feb. 16, 1952, at Eureka Baptist Church, and celebrated their 72nd anniversary in February. She and Jim lived in Landsberg, Germany, where they adopted their son, Jeffrey. After returning to the United States, they lived in Centuria, Wisconsin, and adopted their daughter, Kathryn.
Ramona served wherever help was needed. Along with serving at Eureka Baptist Church, she was involved with several ministries at Grace Baptist Church in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, and was one of the leaders of the GMG young girls’ group, Sunday school teacher and other duties as she was asked. She enjoyed drawing and painting. She painted several banners for church events and painted the directional signs for Wood Lake Baptist Camp. She was hired to bake cookies for weddings and took in ironing for extra income. She was a substitute teacher at a two-room school when asked.
After moving to Black River Falls, she worked at a training and employment center until it closed, teaching developmentally disabled young people. She also taught the first year of Head Start at the Winnebago (now Ho-Chunk) Mission. She was the activities director at the Family Heritage Nursing Home in Black River Falls until moving to Reedsburg. She and Jim were hired as managers for the Madson/Meridian Corporation. They managed a senior housing apartment building in Reedsburg for a short time and were promoted to regional management positions, moving them to Superior, Wisconsin.
They became members of Odgen Avenue Baptist Church, now Bayside Baptist Church. Ramona taught the 2- to 5-year-old Sunday school for several years. She was a board member of the Spice of Life Women’s Bible Study group. She had a dream that became Bayside’s summer community gathering called Joy in the City. Ramona was instrumental in starting or serving in several of the ministries and groups as well. She served as the church secretary for several years until her retirement.
Ramona loved people, especially little children, and treasured her time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is fondly remembered by friends and family for her love of gardening, sharing plants and knowledge of how to keep some type of flower blooming from early spring through the fall. She enjoyed baking, mostly known for her homemade chocolate brownies with homemade chocolate frosting and her rhubarb custard meringue pies.
Ramona was preceded in death by her parents, Howard & Katie Anderson; mother-in-law and father-in law, Joseph and Louise Claude; son, Jeffrey E. Claude; and brother, Wayne.
She is survived by her husband, Jim E. Claude; daughter, Kathryn (Doug) Stetzer of Superior; grandchildren, Curt (Chiharu) Thompson, Stephanie (Tim) Stetzer, Justin (Kristen) Stetzer, Jeffrey (Chris) Claude, Sina Claude and Ann (Cory) Haasnoot; and several great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be at Bayside Baptist Church on Saturday, June 1, with 10 a.m. visitation, 11 a.m. service and lunch to follow. Interment will be at the New Home Cemetery Saturday, June 22, 2 p.m., 2265 220th Ave., St. Croix Falls, WI 54024. Coffee time after in the Community Room, Pioneer Apartments, 612 S. 2nd Street, Luck Wisconsin.
