Memorial services were held at Grace Lutheran Church in Gordon.
Clarice Marine Gunderson was born Sept. 15, 1918, to Guy and Millie (Erickson) Gunderson, near Quinn, S.D. The family moved to Warner when she was 3, then to a farm three miles north of Warner, living there until 1929, when they moved to Aberdeen.
She graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in 1936, after which she attended Northern State Teachers College, receiving her state teaching certificate.
Here, she met Elmer "Pert" Elwood, a young area farmer, and they were married in 1939. In 1943, Clarice and the children moved to Aberdeen and lived there while Pert served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In 1947, they returned to their farm near Batesland, where they lived for the next 30 years.
Clarice continued her education, receiving her bachelor's degree from Northern State Teachers College and her master's degree from Black Hills State College. She worked for Shannon County Schools as a teacher, librarian and assistant administrator. She started the bookmobile program on the Pine Ridge Reservation and setting up many libraries in the schools.
Pert died very suddenly in 1975, at age 59. Clarice remained on the farm until 1978, when she married Albert Geersen, moving to his farm near Martin. She continued to work at Shannon County Schools until 1982. Albert died in 1991 and, in 1992, she purchased a house in Gordon, Neb., and moved to town.
She is survived by her three children: Sharon (Ken) Hardin, Gordon, Neb.; Robert (Shirley) Elwood, Metairie, La.; and Shirley (Loren) Paul, Gordon, Neb.; sisters: Elaine Roth and Ruth (George) Casanova, Aberdeen; sisters-in-law: Naomi Alexander, Aberdeen; Lula Elwood and Odessa Elwood, both of Gordon, Neb.; eight grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Elmer "Pert" Elwood; husband, Albert Geersen; great-grandson, Wade Ginkens; brothers: Russell Alexander and Stan Gunderson; sisters: Beatrice Goulette, Jeanne Dingman and Gloria Hartzell; sister-in-law, Helen Gunderson; and brothers-in-law: Francis Elwood, Troy Elwood and Wesley Elwood.