Clara Mae Vancura

Clara Mae Vancura, age 90, of Raytown, Missouri, died Friday, January 29, 2021 of natural causes.

She was born on April 13, 1930, at home on the family farm in Riley County, Kansas, the daughter of Carl Gustaf Adolph Ruthstrom and Amy Marie Burklund.

On June 4, 1950 at the Walsburg Lutheran Church, she was married to Cyril William “Bill” Vancura. He preceded her in death in 2010.

Clara attended Brown Mackie Business College in Salina, where she met the love of her life, husband Bill of Norton. Together they established “Bill’s Plumbing and Heating” from 1956 to 1978 in Manhattan, KS. Clara managed the plumbing company and also worked so, so hard providing room and board for multiple college students attending Kansas State University. They later moved to Tucson, AZ where Bill worked at the University of Arizona and Clara worked at Sears. Bill and Clara retired in 2004 and moved to Mesa, Arizona.

Family was everything to Clara and Bill, sharing special moments giggling with her grandchildren, baking cupcakes, celebrating birthdays and fun filled family reunions.

In addition to her husband Bill, she was preceded in death by her parents; an infant son Keith and her sister Kathleen Swenson. She is survived by her four beloved sons, Stephen and Lydia Vancura of Salado, Texas, Brad and Cheryl of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Curtis and Boonlai of San Gabriel, California and David and Diane of Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Clara is survived by sister Marilee of Georgetown, Texas, brother Frank and Joyce of Phoenix, Arizona and grandsons John, Ryan, Jonathan, granddaughter Courtney, and six great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, February 6, 2021 at the Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. until service time on Saturday. Burial will be in the Walsburg Cemetery northeast of Leonardville.

Memorials may be made to the Walsburg Lutheran Church and left in care of the Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral Home.