Clarence "Click" Hellinga

Click Hellinga Slide Show

Ocheyedan, IA

Clarence “Click” Hellinga, age 93 of Ocheyedan, Iowa passed away Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at Osceola Regional Health Center in Sibley, Iowa.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM, Monday, March3, 2025 at Ocheyedan Methodist Church with Pastor Steve Swenson, officiating. Burial with military honors will follow the service at Ocheyedan Township Cemetery.  Click Hellinga Livestream Link

Visitation will take place Sunday, March 2nd from 3:00 to 6:00 PM at the Ocheyedan Methodist Church. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Abben Cancer Center in Spencer, Iowa or the Ocheyedan Wood-Miller American Legion Post No. 326.

Jurrens Funeral Home of Ocheyedan is in charge of arrangements.

 Clarence Thyman Hellinga was born January 12, 1932 at home on the farm Southeast of Ocheyedan, the son of Ralph and Anne (Vander Gaast) Hellinga.

 He grew up between Harris and Ocheyedan where he attended Country School and later Harris High School. 

 Following high school, he was drafted into the United States Army where he served in the Korean War and was honorably discharged on February 2, 1955.

 On December 28, 1956, Clarence was united in marriage to Karen Verhoef in Archer, Iowa. They began their married life in Garvin, MN, and later moved back to Iowa, settling in the Harris, Lake Park and Ocheyedan areas. In 1975, they built a new home in Ocheyedan where Clarence remained until moving to Country View Manor in December of 2023. To this union six children were born: Jerilyn, Lindsey, Laurel, Gail, Joel, and Heidi. Click always said, “Karen did the majority of raising the kids, while I was busy working.” However, there was a time when he hauled two buckets of diapers along to work, to wash at the laundromat, during his lunch hour and bringing them home to dry. After being stuck in a snowstorm and the clean, wet diapers freezing, he purchased a wringer washing machine for Karen. When they found free time, Click and Karen enjoyed bowling, playing cards, and taking trips that he earned through the elevator. Another trip they enjoyed was going to Holland with Grandma Hellinga to see where Grandma and Grandpa grew up. Click and Karen were lifelong active members of the United Methodist Church in Harris, Lake Park, and Ocheyedan. He was also a member of the Wood-Miller American Legion Post 326 for 65 years and served as commander for many of those years.

 Clarence wore many hats throughout his lifetime, all of them tied to agriculture. He farmed, was a seed salesman, and filled many positions at the Cooperative Elevator Association in Ocheyedan, ending his career as manager of the Cooperative. After retirement, he went back to farming with his brothers on the family farm. 

 Click and Karen spent many winters in Arizona, following Karen’s retirement. After Karen’s death in 2000, Clarence returned to Arizona where he met Patricia Halse. They were married in June of 2001. Pat’s five children, spouses, and grandchildren all welcomed Clarence as a part of their family. They continued to travel between Montana, Iowa, and Arizona until April of 2020. Due to health concerns for both of them, they were unable to physically spend their last few years together, but stayed connected through many phone calls, face time, and letters.

 Click passed away peacefully surrounded by his children on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at the Osceola Regional Health Center.

 He is survived by his wife, Patricia, his six children Jerilyn (Dave) Marra, Lindsey (Jerry) Helmers, Laurel (Kevin) Klaassen, Gail (Rob) Travaille, Joel (Deb) Hellinga, and Heidi (Kent) Douma, 22 grandchildren (and 18 spouses), 44 great grands, 2 great-great grands; Patricia’s children, Pam Halse, Suzan (Pete) Stommel, Cynthia Stutsman, Kristi (Don) Kirby, and Dean (Ann) Halse, and grandchildren and great grandchildren; brothers, Henry (Maureen) Hellinga, and Fred Hellinga; sister-in-law, Karen (Kerry) Glade; Many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. 

 He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Anne; wife, Karen; infant sister, Jennie Hellinga; brother, John Hellinga; sisters-in- law, Illene Hellinga and Donna Hellinga; parents-in-law, William and Barbara (Kaiser) Verhoef; sisters-in-law, Myrna (Ray) Van Pelt, Ardis (Robert) Bornholdt; brother-in-law, Gerald (Marilyn) Verhoef.

Highlights of Click's 93 Years…

*Born on the farm during a snowstorm - his dad had to meet the doctor with a team of horses.

*Started country school speaking Dutch and had to learn English, then taught his parents. Was Valedictorian of his senior class.

*Got the nickname “Click” from friends at 8 years old… it stuck!

*Involved in 4-H, where he enjoyed showing shorthorn cattle.

*Was proud to serve as an army staff sergeant in Korea.

* Happily married to Karen for 43 years and had 6 children.

*His first day of work at the elevator, he unloaded a train car of coal by hand… he left the elevator as the manager after 32 years of service.

*He enjoyed Friday nights at Perkins with Karen and dear friends, Sally & Merle Pedley, for many years.

*Was the MC for Bernie Willadson’s dance recitals & other community events.

*Enjoyed greeting Karen’s preschool students when they came to Pooh Corner Preschool in the basement of their home.

*Drove school bus for Sibley-Ocheyedan school & mentored confirmation students - including all three Marco boys.

*Happily married to Patricia for 21 years & gained an extended family. 

*Enjoyed 26 winters in Arizona playing cards & Bingo.

*Rocked and sang “Rock-a-bye” to all the new babies in the family.

*Recorded the grain markets in a notebook every day until the day he went to Country View Manor. 

*Faithfully watched The Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Joel Osteen.

*Avid sports fan - cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs, Iowa Women’s Basketball & The Fever, and any activities his grandchildren and great grandchildren participated in.

*Hearing about what was happening on the farm or at work from his kids and their spouses.