Clara Dorothea "Dot" Klein

Clara Dorothea “Dot” Klein, 87, passed away peacefully May 23, 2022 at her daughter and son-in-law’s home in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was born Aug. 1, 1934 to Clara and LeRoy Duncan on her maternal grandparent’s farm in Dietrich, Idaho, joining an older sister.

Clara’s parents were ministers, so the family moved quite a bit in her early years. The family lived in Indian Springs, Idaho until she was about three years of age, then moved to Deer Lodge, Mont., where she started elementary school. This was where she was living when Pearl Harbor was bombed, catapulting the U.S. into WWII. While experiencing the shock of that event, it was accompanied by the double sorrow of her younger brother passing away from Rheumatic Fever two days later.

Her father was sent for training to repair P-38’s and B-17’s, so the family moved to Union, Idaho, and finally to Geiger Field in Spokane, Wash. After the war ended, the family continued to live in Spokane until her parents were asked to pastor the Assembly of God Church in Davenport, Wash. Dot’s high school years were spent in Davenport, where she graduated. She was also Miss Davenport. She and her older sister formed a singing duo, and were often asked to sing for community events. It was also during these years that she met her future husband, Dwaine.

Though she grew up a city girl, she was destined to be a farm wife. She was born on a farm, worked for the Ag office in Davenport after high school, as well as several summer jobs working on neighbor’s ranches. She married her high school sweetheart in 1955, and they farmed in Edwall, Wash., where she lived for sixty-one years.

During these years, she was highly involved in the community, as well as her church in Davenport. She nurtured two children to adulthood, Keith and Karen, remaining a great friend to both. She had a very green thumb, tending a large vegetable garden, as well as keeping up a lovely yard with beautiful flowers. She was employed as an Enumerator for the State of Washington for 24 years and enjoyed meeting and interviewing the farm families of Lincoln and Adams counties. She volunteered in the little Edwall library, which gave her great satisfaction. Cruising was also one of her favorite vacations, especially because she would be with her sisters and often, friends. An avid football fan, she followed all Washington teams, and became a University of Utah Utes fan, cheering on the teams with her family. She also faithfully followed, and was a huge fan of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, rarely missing a game, even when they came on late in the evening.

Following Dwaine’s death in 2015, she moved to Salt Lake City in 2017 to be near her daughter’s family, residing only a few minutes away in an independent living community. When the pandemic changed all our lives, she moved to the home of her daughter and son-in-law, where she remained until the evening of her passing.

She is preceded in death by her husband (2015), son Keith (2021), and sister, Esther (2018). She is survived by her daughter, Karen, son-in-law, Larry, sisters Jennie Hackney, and Marlene Woolms, and brother, Douglas Duncan, as well as seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

There will be a memorial service for Dot, and Keith, on July 2, at 10:00 a.m. at Harvest Celebration (Assemblies of God) church in Davenport. Memorials in Dot’s name may be sent to Christian Heritage School at 48009 Ida Ave E., Edwall, WA 99008.