Clara Mae Mayer

Our beautiful, wonderful, fashionable Mom, Clara Mae was born October 6, 1929, in Lewiston, Idaho, to Andrew & Frances Verzani. She gained her heavenly wings and joined our Dad having lost her battle to heart failure on January 26, 2024, at her Colton, Wash., home. Mom survived breast cancer not only once in 1979, but again in 2007, when breast cancer returned in the exact same place. In her young life Clara was an avid runner and she loved tap dancing, saving her birthday money for lessons. She could get five lessons for $1.00, a better price than 25 cents a lesson! Even this past year she could tell you every school teacher she had from first grade through 8th grade and her favorite and her least favorite. She graduated from Lewiston High School in 1947 and married the love of her life, Orville Mayer from Colton, Wash., on November 15, 1950, in Lewiston, and then settled into married life on the Mayer Homestead north of Colton.

Clara was a stay at home Mom, although she worked alongside our dad in the fields driving a little blue truck loaded with grain or loaded with bales of hay, which they sold to Washington State University Dept of Agriculture to buy their family a set of encyclopedias. Then in 1975 when Orville became Manager of St. John Grain Growers in St. John, Wash., Clara worked as his secretary. A highlight of Clara's life was when she made a hole-in-one not once but twice in Arizona!! Clara was an "Avon Lady" in the late 1960 and early 1970's and she was a Washington State Grange member since 1951. Our parents taught each of us, our spouses and children how to play pinochle. Clara enjoyed making greeting cards, embroidering, and watching sports-Gonzaga, Washington State University, Golden State Warriors, Seattle Mariners and Seattle Seahawks. Our parents traveled extensively throughout the United States. They also made their way to Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Switzerland.

Clara is survived by her six children, Christy & Gary Jones, Colton, Wash., Greg & Kathy (Leinweber) Mayer, Colfax, Wash., Nancy Mayer, Ritzville, Wash., Brian & Chris (Miller) Mayer, Maui, Hawaii, Lori & Dr. Jon Tiessen, Anacortes, Wash., and Todd Mayer, Ritzville, Wash .; an ex-son-in-law Ron Greenwalt, Ritzville, Wash .; sisters-in-law, Melvine Verzani, Wenatchee, Wash., and Lillian Davis, Colton, Wash .; cousin Hazel Eggers, Nezperce, Idaho; and daughter by another mother Mary Ann Marinshaw, Santa Clara, Calif. Mom also leaves nine grandchildren – Nicolas & Sarah Mayer, Colfax, Wash., Angela & Justin Corbett, Bothell, Wash., Nicole & Dan Clavel, Ritzville, Wash., Zachary & Amy Mayer, Birmingham, Ala., Natalie & Drew McKinney, Ritzville, Wash., Alex Tiessen, Meridian, Idaho, Isaac Tiessen, Everett, Wash., Andrew Tiessen, Everett, Wash., and Ian Tiessen, Anacortes, Wash. Thirteen of the most wonderful, smartest, perfect, great-grandchildren (ages 15 years to 4 months) with another one due June 2024. Also many wonderful caring loving supportive nieces and nephews who enjoyed receiving annual birthday cards from their aunt Clara Mae throughout the years. Clara lost her beloved husband, Orville, February 12, 2011, her mother, Frances Wester Verzani, July 24, 1985, her father Andrew Verzani, March 19, 1961, her mother-in-law, Ursula Dahmen Mayer, October 16, 1968, and Orville's dad, Charles Mayer, January 27, 1950. Waiting in heaven are her brother Don Verzani, brothers-in-law Werner Mayer and Jim Davis, and sister-in-law Vanita Mayer. We would like to thank Gentiva Hospice and specifically Nurse Rachel for her devotion to Mom during this time.

Rosary and the Mass will be celebrated at St Gall Catholic Church, Colton, Wash., on Friday, February 9, 2024. Rosary at 10:30 AM followed by Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM. Burial will immediately follow at St. Gall Catholic Cemetery in Colton. Donations in Clara's memory can be sent to the House of Charity, PO Box 2253, Spokane, WA 99210-2253 or to the endowment fund at the Guardian Angel Catholic School, 306 Steptoe Street, Colton, WA 99113 or to a charity of donor's choice. Corbeill Funeral Home of Pullman, Wash., has been entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to http://www.corbeillfuneralhomes.com