Margene Clawson

Helma Margene Andersen Clawson, 95 of Twin Falls passed away on Friday August 30, 2024. Margene was born on March 8, 1929 to Christian Waldemar Andersen and Carma Pearl Monson in Shelley, Idaho. She grew up as the youngest of four girls: Johanna (Joey), Lillace, and Laree. Margene graduated from Shelley High School in 1947 and then took classes at LDS Business School in Salt Lake City, Utah where she roomed with friends in the Beehive House.

Margene was sealed to George Ray Clawson in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple on March 15, 1951. They are the parents of six children: Ronald, Luan, Lynn, Arlene, Sally, and Chad. They were good parents and provided us with the good things in life. We knew our parents loved each other, loved us, and loved God. We were taught the gospel of Jesus Christ in our home; we were encouraged to serve missions and get an education.

When Dad retired in 1991, they started serving their own missions, starting in South Dakota, Rapid City where they served in Eagle Butte on a reservation; then back to George’s beloved New Zealand, Auckland mission where they served as proselyting missionaries; Utah, Cove Fort mission where they were tour guides for the Fort; and finally in the New York, Palmyra mission where they were guides for the Peter Whitmer home, the Grandin Building where the Book of Mormon was first printed, the log home of Joseph Smith, the Sacred Grove, and at the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Margene loved being a missionary and serving with her husband. From the time of their first mission until Dad’s death, they were rarely apart.

Mom and Dad loved camping and kept the camper stocked—ready to jump in and go for a night or two, fish, and enjoy the outdoors. The South Hills and Alturas Lake were favorite spots, along with small unnamed streams they liked to scope out. We cooked the fish over an open fire and enjoyed every bite.

Mom had many callings as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved being ward librarian, Sunday School and Primary chorister, counselor in the Primary Presidency, and teacher to the 5 and 6 year-old children in Primary. She was a Cub Scout leader and also helped George with the Boy Scouts. She was in the Relief Society presidency where she found her courage to stand in front of people and speak, which served her well as a missionary. She was homemaking leader where she taught some of her own skills of quilting, sewing and baking. She said those are the good things of life. Her favorite callings were working with the sisters in Relief Society. Mom was quick to share her talents and generous with everything she made. Margene faithfully read the scriptures, marking passages and writing her questions in the margins.

Mom was an incredible seamstress. She learned to sew when she was young, and after she was married, she took tailoring classes at CSI. Many people came to Margene to sew clothes and drapes for them. She became a 4-H leader and taught her girls to sew, and they also made banana bread to enter in the fair. Mom learned to quilt and became a master quilter; she was very good at choosing fabrics and knowing how to coordinate them to make something beautiful. Her quilting was all by hand, and visitors often admired her handiwork. Margene also painted, and she filled her home with the products of her many talents. Mom was very gifted in all things handmade—she quilted, sewed, crocheted, knitted, tatted, did netting, and she could pick up any kind of handwork.

Margene had a beautiful garden, both flowers and vegetables. People often stopped to see her yard and flowers. She enjoyed working in her yard and was active in yard care, even mowing her own lawn up until a couple of years ago. She loved her riding lawnmower and was excited to take her grandchildren and great-grandchildren on “tractor rides.”

Margene was a fabulous cook, and people asked for her recipes. She shared all but one—her mother’s famous caramels. She shared the caramels, but kept the recipe in the family. We love those caramels! Margene was proud of her Danish heritage and had fun making aebliskivers and Danish sweet soup.

Mom loved things to match—if there were twin beds in a room, they had to have matching sheets and bedspreads; shoes and purses had to match. Mom loved long, dangly earrings. Every day she dressed and did her hair. She was never sloppy and didn’t ever want her children to be sloppy. Mom was a beautiful, fancy lady.

Margene is predeceased by her parents and sisters, and her husband George who passed away in 2009. Margene is survived by her children Ron and Sharalee Clawson of Rupert, Idaho; Luan and Stan Zenk of Placerville, California; Lynn and C. Clawson of Eagle Mountain, Utah; Arlene and Duff Madsen of Mesa, Arizona; Sally and Corky Richardson of West Valley City, Utah; Chad Clawson and Penny Buckland of Emmett, Idaho. George and Margene have 21 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

Margene loved her family and was always happy to have her children and grandchildren come to visit. She loved going “down to the Falls” for a picnic or just a drive. It was a joy to her to be so close to such an incredibly beautiful place. Margene was grateful for the gospel in her life and was happy to share her testimony with those around her. We as her children are thankful to our mother for her love and for being a defender of truth. She taught us to be honest, kind, and righteous. Thank you Mom.

There will be a viewing from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at the LDS church on 723 Hankins Road, Twin Falls, Idaho. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m. Interment will be in the Goshen, Idaho Cemetery at 3:30 p.m. Arrangements are under the direction of Rosenau Funeral Home. 

  A live stream of the funeral service can be found by scrolling down on this page.