Carol Clauson, 79, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, passed away on March 22, 2026.
Carol was born on July 27, 1946, in Winner, South Dakota, to Walter and Mary Jane Krauss. She grew up on the family farm outside Winner, where she was raised alongside her two younger sisters, Shirley (Bob) Miller and Donna (Mick) Heying. After graduating from high school in Winner, she attended Southern State College in Springfield, South Dakota, studying math and earning her teaching certificate — though teaching wasn’t a true calling for her.
That calling arrived in the form of Dave Clauson, whom she met when he came through Winner for work. The two were married on March 1, 1969, beginning a devoted partnership that would span 56 wonderful years. Carol made the leap from small-town Winner to the “big city” of Sioux Falls with characteristic determination, as she and Dave built their life together.
At the heart of that life was her family. Carol was, in every sense of the word, a remarkable wife, mother, and homemaker. She brought warmth, order, and love to everything she did — keeping an immaculate home, ensuring her family always sat down to a good homecooked meal, and clothing Dave and their children in outfits crafted by her own skilled hands at the sewing machine.
Carol had a natural gift for numbers and was a born accountant. She put that talent to work as an in-home math tutor for her kids, a relentless coupon shopper who could stretch every dollar to its fullest, and the meticulous efforts behind her nearly annual garage sales — events that involved weeks of careful planning, precise pricing, and product presentation that would make any retailer proud.
Her entrepreneurial spirit found its finest expression in her Cabbage Patch doll-clothing business, a labor of love that kept her sewing late into the evenings, packaging her creations, and crafting newspaper ads…the original Etsy! It was exactly the kind of endeavor that suited her — creative, industrious, and entirely her own.
Carol also treasured her weekly women’s bowling league which provided longtime friends and gave her competitive streak a time to shine. Most of all, she cherished every moment spent with her five grandchildren — playing cards, games of Yahtzee, and cheering from the stands at countless sporting events. Even as memory loss presented its challenges in her later years, she could still hold her own at the UNO table — a testament to her resilience.
Carol is survived by her children, Brian (Janeen) Clauson and Angie (Jim) Flanigan; her grandchildren, Alex and Erin Clauson, Zach (Kara) Flanigan, Eric Flanigan, and Macyn (Ethan) Burson; and her sister, Shirley (Robert) Miller. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 56 years, Dave Clauson; and her sister, Donna (Mick) Heying.
A visitation, with family present, will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, March 27th, 2026, followed by a service at 11:00 AM, at Miller Funeral Home - Westside Chapel (6200 W. 41st St) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Interment will take place at Hills of Rest Cemetery in Sioux Falls.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Carol’s honor may be directed to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.
Celebrate a life with the whole community in The Dakota Scout. Contact obits@thedakotascout.com to have your loved one remembered today.