Ardis McClelland

FUNERAL SERVICES : 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at Faith Baptist Church in Park Rapids with Reverend Marty Giese officiating.VISITATION : One hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.INTERMENT : Greenwood Cemetery, Park Rapids, MNSURVIVORS : Her daughter, Martha; her son-in-law, W.A. Tacker; her three granddaughters: Sarah Tacker, Katherine Tacker and Betsy Tacker McClimans; her grandson-in-law, Patrick McClimans; her great-granddaughter, Olivia McClimans; her sisters-in-law: Edith (Dale) Pike and Phyllis (Bruce) Pike. ARDIS ETHEL PIKE McCLELLANDFebruary 14, 1917 ~ March 29, 2013 Ardis Ethel Pike McClelland, age 96, a longtime Park Rapids area resident, died on Good Friday, March 29, 2013 at Diamond Willow in Park Rapids.Ardis was born on Valentine"s Day, February 14, 1917, in Crow Wing Township to Raughla and Lana (Benham) Pike. She grew up in rural Hubbard County and graduated from Park Rapids High School in 1934. On September 14, 1935, she was united in marriage to Robert M. McClelland, and their union was blessed with two children: Martha and Michael. Except for a brief time in Texas during WWII, Ardis lived in Minnesota, including Redwood Falls, Walker and Park Rapids. After graduating, Ardis worked in the law office of K.B. Wilson and then Jim Wilson. Over the years, she worked in the clinic of Drs. Schrantz and Duthoy and the Register of Deeds office. In 1966, she founded the Hubbard County Abstract Company, retiring from the abstract company in 1975. Ardis was a long-time member of Faith Baptist Church, teaching Sunday School, serving as Church Clerk and on numerous committees. She and her husband Bob led the program for senior members. Ardis, a devoted gardener with a knack for making any plant flourish, was a charter member of the Park Rapids Garden Club. She also served as a Campfire Girls leader and was a member of the Federated Women"s Club, the Hubbard County Historical Society, and the American Field Service foreign student exchange program. Ardis was the "Minnesota mother" for two AFS students: Miguel Pascal from Argentina and Marianella Henny from Venezuela. Family and friends were an important part of Ardis" life. She extended the gift of hospitality to all and had a talent for making even a spontaneous get-together feel welcoming and special. She enjoyed hosting family and friends at her beloved island on Skunk Lake, the site of several family reunions. In 2009, she worked heroically to recover from a hip fracture (at age 92 years) to join the McClelland Cousins Reunion at the lake in June. She also enjoyed traveling and had fond memories of the drive to Alaska and back with Bob, camping in different campgrounds for 46 nights in a row.Ardis will be lovingly remembered by her daughter, Martha; her son-in-law, W.A. Tacker; her three granddaughters: Sarah Tacker, Katherine Tacker and Betsy Tacker McClimans; her grandson-in-law, Patrick McClimans; her great-granddaughter, Olivia McClimans; her sisters-in-law: Edith (Dale) Pike and Phyllis (Bruce) Pike; many nieces, nephews and friends.She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert, in 1996 and her son, Michael, in 1974; her parents, Raughla and Lana Pike; four sisters: Delma Pike, Marion Annette Gordon, Julia Williams and Barbara Johnson Branham and two brothers: Dale and Bruce.Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at Faith Baptist Church in Park Rapids with Reverend Marty Giese officiating. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.