Mary Claudia Livingston

February 12, 1915 - January 31, 2016

Mary "Claudia" Livingston, 100, of Lincoln Township, died Sunday, January 31, 2016 at the Willows in Royalton Township. A Memorial Mass celebrating her life will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, May 28, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Joseph. A visitation will be held from 6 PM to 8 PM on Friday, at the Fairplain Chapel of Florin Funeral Service in Benton Harbor. Burial will follow later in the family cemetery lot in St. John’s Cemetery in Emmetsburg, IA and cremation has taken place. Memorials may be made to the St. Joseph Parish or Hospice at Home. Arrangements are by the Florin Funeral Service. 983-1514. Please share memories, messages or photos at www.florin.net. Claudia was born in her Grandmother's home in Emmetsburg, IA on Feb. 12, 1915 to Joseph and Annabelle Shea Kliegl. She was raised as a farm girl on the family farm and graduated from High School in Superior, IA. After graduation she went to nurses training in LeMars, IA and graduated in 1935 from Sacred Heart Hospital. She met and married Frances Livingston in 1937 and he preceded her in death. To this union their three daughters (Linda, Nancy and Maureen) were born. Later in life, Claudia went back to nursing, working in Lake Wales, FL, St. Joseph, MI and then as a private duty nurse. She retired in 1981 as a Registered Nurse. Claudia was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Parish and a charter member of the Marion Guild. She was also a member of the Michigan State Nursing Association. Left to cherish her memory is her daughter, Nancy (Doug) Wathen, of Indianapolis, IN, her siblings, Paul Kliegl of WI, Betty Newland of CA, Elaine Tomlinson of CA, and Judy (Jim) Molloy of FL; her 6 grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren and great, great granddaughters; her numerous nieces and nephews; her special nephew, David (Barbara) Livingston and her close friends, Gretta Van Bree and Al Bulgrin. Claudia was preceded in death by her parents, her friend and step-mother, Lillian, her daughters, Linda and Maureen, her granddaughter, her brother, Joseph Kliegl, her sister, Ruth Sherr, her sisters-in-law, Violet Kliegl and Dorothy Kliegl, and her brothers-in-law, Jack Tomlinson, Cap Sherr and George Newland.