Claudia Rae Mewes, 82, Albany

October 18, 1940 - March 31, 2023

Funeral service for Claudia Rae Mewes, age 82, will be on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 11 AM at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Albany, MN. Visitation will be on Friday, April 14 from 4-7 PM at Miller-Carlin Funeral Homes, Albany, and one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church. A small service will also be held at Christ the King Church in Moorhead on April 16 at 6:00 pm. Claudia passed away at Lilac Homes in Dilworth, MN on March 31, 2023. Arrangements by Miller-Carlin Funeral Homes, Albany, MN.

Claudia was born on October 18, 1940, in Bemidji, MN to Ole and Helena (Mikkelson) Paulson. She graduated from Bemidji High School in 1958. She continued her education at Bemidji State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business education in 1962. In her early years of teaching, she taught in Clarissa, MN, Greenfield, IA, and Thief River Falls, MN. She met the love of her life, Earl (also a business education teacher) during those early years of teaching. She married Earl Mewes on June 4, 1966, in Bemidji, MN. Following their marriage, they lived in Big Lake, MN, for 2 years, and in the fall of 1968, they moved to Albany, MN where Earl taught business education. During this time in their marriage, Claudia made the difficult decision to become a full-time housewife to her husband and full-time mother to her 3 daughters. Her daughters have come to appreciate this sacrifice more and more as they have become mothers themselves.

Claudia was actively involved in her community. She served the community by doing one of the hardest jobs in education: substitute teaching. She was a substitute for teachers in the Albany Area Schools and surrounding school districts for many years and became a highly sought-after sub. Claudia also served in her church where she taught Sunday School, coordinated activities for numerous serving committees, and sang in the choir. She also served the community as a Girl Scout leader for several years, including taking a group of girls camping in the woods (a great sacrifice, considering Claudia’s life-long fear of snakes.)

Claudia and her husband Earl spent many happy years in retirement in Albany. They celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary on June 4, 2017, before Earl passed away on July 9, 2017.

Claudia is survived by her daughters, Carmen Rae Mewes, Broken Arrow, OK, Gwendolyn Faye (Douglas) Sullivan, Smithfield, NC, Joan Marie (Vernon) Berg, Moorhead, MN, 8 grandchildren, sister, Judith (Richard) Bluth, Morris, MN, and a sister-in-law Hazel Merle, Almena, WI.

Claudia was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Earl, and sisters, Geraldine Rohde, Joan Myer, and Bernadette Schultz.

Memorials preferred to Hemker Park and Zoo, Freeport, MN, or to your charity of choice.