Individual Details

Ralph Kenneth Clason, 74, La Crosse, died Dec. 12, 2004, at Bethany St. Joseph Care Center, La Crosse, after a courageous battle with Parkinson's disease. He was born Aug. 4, 1930, in Honey Creek to the late Caroline (Mueller) and William A. Clason. He graduated from Burlington High School in 1948. He served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War from 1952-1953. He married Joyce Merten on Oct. 16, 1954, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Burlington. He was with New York Life Insurance before beginning a career with General Motors Pontiac Motor Division. He served as a district manager for Pontiac in Wausau from 1959-1965 and the Milwaukee area from 1965-1968. In 1968, he became partners with Lloyd Olson in Olson Clason Pontiac. They later became sole owners of what is now Clason Pontiac Buick GMC. He helped start the Aquinas Foundation and served as president of its board of directors for six years. He served on the La Crosse Police and Fire Commission, Franciscan Skemp Foundation, La Crosse Library Board, Viterbo Advisory Board, Blessed Sacrament Pastoral Council, and was president of Saint Thomas More School Board. He had been involved with the American Legion, Korean War Veterans Assn., VFW Post 1530, Burlington Lions Club, Elks Club, General Motors Club, National Dealers Assn., Wisconsin Dealers Assn., and served on the National Dealer Council, La Crosse Chamber of Commerce, and La Crosse New Car Dealer Assn. He was Riverfest commodore in 1991. In 1999 he and his wife were honored by Aquinas High School by receiving the first Saint Thomas Aquinas Award. He was a devoted Green Bay Packer fan. Survivors include his wife, La Crosse; children, Carey (William) Kroner, Timothy (Ahna), Victoria (Dennis) Subera, Lisa Clason and James Biba, and Alexander (Kim), all La Crosse, and Jill (Steven) Doll, La Crescent, Minn.; 10 grandchildren; sisters, Ruth (Les) Whitmore, Union Grove, Hazel Sheard, South Sioux City, Neb., and Fern Montague, Sacramento, Calif. He was preceded in death by his brother, Elmer, and brother-in-law, Herb Sheard. Visitation is Friday, Dec. 17, from 9 a.m. until time of Mass at 10 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church, 130 Losey Blvd. So., La Crosse. The Rev. Robert Hundt will officiate with entombment in the St. Joseph Mauso-leum in the Catholic Cemetery. The Blaschke Funeral Home, La Crosse, is handling arrangements. Memorials to the Aquinas Foundation, Franciscan Skemp Foundation or the Children's Miracle Network are suggested. Source Citation: Newspaper: Burlington Stardard Press; Publication Date: 5 Feb 2005; Publication Place: Burlington, Wisconsin. Source Information: Ancestry.com. United States Obituary Collection [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

La Crosse Tribune, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Friday, December 23, 2005: Vicky Clason-Subera decorates her south La Crosse home in memory of her father, Ralph Clason, who passed away last year. Ralph always enjoyed lights, and the trait has rubbed off on Clason-Subera's son, Luke Subera, 5. "He has an extension cord fetish. He asked for extension cords for Christmas," his mom said. With the help of niece Jamie Biba, 8, and daughter Jessica Subera, 3, the family filled the yard at 4117 Riverview Drive with holiday cheer. "I wasn't going to do as much this year, but then (Luke) said 'Grandpa would really want to look down and see your lights,'" Clason-Subera said.

Birth	Abt 1930
Birth	4 Aug 1930	Honey Creek, Walworth Co., Wisconsin
Marriage	16 Oct 1954	Burlington, Racine Co., Wisconsin - Joyce Merten
Death	12 Dec 2004	La Crosse, La Crosse Co., Wisconsin
Death	12 Dec 2004
Birth		Honey Creek, Walworth Co., Wisconsin
Death		La Crosse, La Crosse Co., Wisconsin
Burial		St Joseph Mausoleum, La Crosse, La Crosse Co., Wisconsin

Spouse	Joyce Merten (1933 - )
Child	Carey Clason ( - )
Child	Timothy Clason ( - )
Child	Victoria Clason ( - )
Child	Lisa Clason ( - )
Child	Jill Clason ( - )
Child	Alexander Clason ( - )

Father	William Alexander Clason (1896 - 1936)
Mother	Caroline Mueller (1898 - 1973)
Sibling	Ruth E. Clason (1920 - 2007)
Sibling	Hazel Bernice Clason (1923 - 2015)
Sibling	Elmer G. Clason (1926 - 2004)
Sibling	Ferne Alice Clason (1928 - 2015)