Clarence Bloom, age 98, of Albert City, Iowa died Sunday, April 30, 2017, at the Pleasant View Home in Albert City.

Funeral services will be held Friday, May 5, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. at the Evangelical Free Church in Albert City. Burial will be in the Fairfield Township Cemetery in Albert City. Visitation will take place Thursday, May 4, 2017, from 5-7:00 p.m. at the Sliefert Funeral Home in Albert City. The Sliefert Funeral Home in Albert City is in charge of arrangements.

Clarence Arvid Bloom was born to David and Hilda (Carlson) Bloom on October 27, 1918 in Bancroft, Nebraska.  His family then moved to a farm 3 miles southeast of Concord, Nebraska, when he was 2 years old.  Clarence attended a country school near his home for the first 8 years of his schooling.

There were always chores to do on the farm, but Clarence also made time for playing with his pony, Buck, swimming in the small stream that ran through the farm, fishing and hunting, as well as running a trapline for muskrats with his brothers.
  
Clarence was a very Godly man, accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Savior in 1935.  Later he was confirmed and baptized at the Concord Evangelical Free Church.
  
Clarence attended high school in Concord, Nebraska, where he played basketball and baseball, as well as participating in class plays and student council, graduating in 1936.  He was the starting center on the basketball team when they went to state tournaments his senior year. In 1938 Clarence moved with his parents to a farm 2 ½ miles north of Albert City, Iowa.  He went to work at Superior Manufacturing for two years while also continuing to work on his father’s farm.  
  
Soon thereafter, Clarence met a young, attractive school teacher by the name of Ethel Carlson at the Evangelical Free Church of Albert City, Iowa, where they were members, and it didn’t take long for love to “bloom”.  A March wedding was planned.  However, Clarence was drafted into the army in 1941 for a one year tour of duty, so a wedding date was set for March of 1942. The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th changed that plan.  After two more leaves were cancelled, Ethel packed up her wedding dress and took the train to southern California, where he was stationed.  They were married there on June 11, 1942.  
  
Clarence was assigned to Officers Candidate School in Ft. Benning, GA, and later served as a Company Commander in the US Army Infantry.  At various times they lived in California, Oregon and Missouri before Clarence was finally sent overseas to the European Theatre of Operations – landing first in North Africa (Oran), then later on to Sicily, Italy and finally Germany. During that time, their first child, Patricia, was born in 1943 in San Luis Obispo, California.  When Clarence received his orders for overseas duty, his wife, Ethel returned to Albert City with Patty and lived with her parents. Clarence remained in active military service until November 28, 1945, and stayed in the army reserves until March 20, 1950.  He received an honorable discharge from the army March 20, 1950 with the rank of First Lieutenant.
  
After returning from the war, Clarence started farming in the spring of 1946 and lived on the family farm until 1999.  Clarence and Ethel’s family grew with two sons and another daughter.
  
Clarence was active in the local Evangelical Free Church (Albert City), serving on the church’s elder board for many years, acting as their chairman for two terms in addition to teaching Sunday School.  He was a leader in the community, serving as a local 4-H leader for 7 years and was instrumental in the establishment of the Pleasant View Nursing Home where he was well cared for in the last few weeks of his life.
  
Clarence loved to travel.  Vacations were a part of every summer for the family – sometimes to a lake cabin in northwest Iowa or northern Minnesota and at other times, to more distant destinations.  This love of travel continued all his life, eventually spending his winters in Bibleville, Texas, where they had a second home for many years.
  
Stained glass became his favorite hobby, making several lamps, hanging stained glass panels, and nightlights.  Clarence kept the landscape on his farmplace looking like a golf course.  He also loved to plant trees.
  
After the death of his dear wife Ethel in 1997, love bloomed once again when Clarence was introduced to Ardys Peterson from Fairmont, Minnesota.  They met when a mutual friend invited both of them to South Padre Island for the day.  The Bloom family grew once again when Clarence and Ardys were married on September 18, 1999.  Clarence and “Ardie” started their life together in a home on Budd Lake in Fairmont, MN.  
  
Clarence was proceeded in death by his parents, David and Hilda Bloom; his first wife, Ethel; two brothers, Harold and Herbert Bloom.  Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Ardys;  sisters, Florence Carlson of Pine City, MN, and Vivian Sundblad of Albert City, IA; his children, Patricia Johnson of Rockford, IL, Arland (Barbara) Bloom of Albert City, IA, Myron (Karyn) Bloom of Marathon, IA, Nancy (Don) Johnson of St. Croix Falls, WI; stepchildren Douglas (Judy) Peterson of East Chain, MN, Richard (Linda) Peterson of East Chain, MN and Rebecca (Brent) Stromme of Annandale, MN; grandchildren Todd (Cindy) Huebner, Cyndy (John) Lane, Brenda (Greg) West, Vicki (Rob) Holcomb, Erica (Ryan) Haack, Aaron (Rebecca) Bloom, Abigail (RJ) Charlton, Jennifer (Gary) Kragt, Melissa (Jim) Walker, Matthew (Catherine) Bloom, Stephen (Melanie) Bloom, Christopher (Megan Stokes) Johnson, Katy (Ryan) Rogers; step grandchildren Sarah (Tyler) Emmert, Jennifer (Jon) Ochs, Joshua (Becki) Peterson, Melissa (Kyle) Hardie, Felicia (Matt) Winner, Cameron (Brooke) Peterson, Braden (Natalie) Stromme, Robert Stromme; 34  great grandchildren, 15 step great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren.
  
Clarence was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather; he loved to spend time with his grandchildren and was an ardent supporter of all their activities.
  
Four days before he died, having not spoken for several days, Clarence clearly spoke this verse: “a peace that passeth understanding”. 
  
His strong Christian faith, quiet nature, and wise leadership have left a great legacy for all who knew and loved him. 

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