Clara LaVoi, age 96, of Fosston, MN passed away on Monday, January 3rd at her home in Fosston. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 7th at 2:00 PM at Kingo Lutheran Church in Fosston with Rev. John Dalen officiating. Visitation will be on Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 PM with a 7:00 PM prayer service at Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home in Fosston and for one hour before the funeral at the church. Interment will be at Kingo Lutheran Cemetery at Fosston in the spring, and the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home of Fosston is in charge of the arrangements. Clara Ness was born on March 11, 1908 to parents Anfind and Brita (Houglum) Ness in Johnson Township, rural Gully, Minnesota. She was confirmed in the Lutheran Faith, attended the Northwest School in Crookston and graduated from Bemidji High School. Clara was united in marriage to Lawrence LaVoi on November 24, 1929 in Bemidj, Minnesota. To this marriage were born two children, Connie (Mrs. Mel Amundson) and Darie Anfind LaVoi. Clara and Lawrence lived on their farm in Rosebud Township, near Fosston, Minnesota their entire married life. Lawrence passed away on July 18, 1966. She worked for many years at the Fosston Hospital. At times when a big storm came up, Clara would stay overnight at the hospital to relieve those from the country who couldn't get in for their shift. Many times when older people from the country came to the hospital and could only speak Norwegian, the doctors would send for Clara to translate what the people were saying and where their pain was. She wrote and spoke Norwegian fluently. Clara was a member of Kingo Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday School and was president of her circle. She was an adult leader of the Rosebud Invincibles 4-H Club, and den mother for Cub Scouts. Her golden years were spent as a life member of the Embassy Community Center in Fosston where she was a member of the Singles Christian Fellowship Group, sang with the Ambassadors of Praise, Notes of Joy, and the Norwegian Heritage Singers. Clara enjoyed playing the violin, piano, guitar, organ, ukulele, harmonica and kazoo. Her other hobbies included watercolor and oil painting, bird watching, and knitting booties for everyone in the family at Christmas time. One of the highlights of her life was going to Norway in the summer of 1974 to visit all her cousins who still lived there. Clara was a big fan of the Fosston High School Greyhound Girls Basketball and Volleyball Teams and received much enjoyment from their success. Clara herself played basketball for the Northwest School Aggies in Crookston in 1928, was team captain, and was nicknamed Clara "Happy-Ness". On Monday, January 3, 2005 Clara Ness LaVoi passed away at her home in Fosston at the age of 96 years, 9 months and 23 days. Survivors include her son Darie LaVoi of Fosston; four grandsons, Timothy Amundson of Andover, MN, Lauren LaVoi of Rochester, MN, Daren LaVoi of Minneapolis and Dana LaVoi of Chicago; five great grandchildren, Nicole and Tim Amundson Jr. of Andover, and Josie, Ryan and Luke LaVoi of Rochester; one granddaughter-in-law, Shiela Amundson of Andover; ten nephews, Mark Buckner, Owen Ness, Bloyd Ness, Richard Ness, Andor Ness, Bradley Ness, William Ness, Anthony Ness, Basil Ness and Jack Nepper; as well as other relatives. She was preceded in death by her husband; her daughter, Connie Amundson; four brothers, Elmer, Ted, George and Boyd; three sisters, Louise Chase, Manda Buckner and Gertrude Nepper; and son-in-law Mel Amundson.