DeClerc, Claire TheresaOn Monday, September 18, 2017, Claire Theresa DeClerc was called home to her Lord and Savior's home after a lengthy illness. She was born on April 23, 1930, to William and Eva Baenen. On April 18, 1953, she married Lawrence DeClerc, who preceded her in death on August 30, 2015.Claire was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend. Her life was filled with the love of Jesus Christ and she was willing to talk to anyone, anytime about their Salvation. She proudly raised seven children and helped raise a number of grandchildren. Claire and Larry were founding members of Bayside Christian Church, now known as Celebration Church. Over the years she was involved in many committees and wore many hats in the church.Claire had a tendency to see the world through rose colored glasses and always saw the glass as half full. Her delightful sense of humor and vivid long-term memory entertained anyone who would listen to her stories. Claire's caregivers from Unity Hospice were her favorite audience. Although her legs were too weak to allow her to walk, at 87 she was still able to touch her knee to her ear. She was blessed to have her daughter Chris in her life. Chris put her life on hold for the last three years and moved in with her parents to allow both of them to live their final years in their home. We are eternally grateful for her.Claire's wit and perseverance allowed her to defy the odds countless times. Her family didn't envision celebrating her 85th birthday with her and certainly didn't imagine celebrating her 86th or 87th birthdays. Claire was like the Energizer bunny. She just "kept on keeping on". Using Grandma DeClerc's recipe; she baked over 100 fruitcakes yearly and sold them to many loyal customers. She proudly earned the title of "Fruitcake Queen" and Dad was the "Booyah King" - It's no wonder they made a perfect pair.Claire is survived by her children and their spouses, Steve and Carol DeClerc, Laurie and Tom Jeschke, Diane and Gregg DeClerc-Francisco, Bill and Donna DeClerc, Chris and Scott Jensen, John and Sue DeClerc, Joe and Melissa DeClerc; grandchildren, Ned (Susie), Matthew (Jenny), Catherine, Becki (Josh), Ian, Ali, Eric, Jason, Jenna (Dan), Cassie (Mike), Jake, Dylan; 12 great-grandchildren; sisters, Ruth (Don) Stoehr, Ellen Baierl; brother, Paul (Diane) Baenen; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a grandson, Drew; her parents; brothers, Jim, Peter, Will; and sisters, Rosemary, Norma and Marion.Friends may call at Blaney Funeral Home, 1521 Shawano Ave., from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, September 22, followed by the Funeral Service at 7 p.m. with Pastor Lathan Duncan officiating. Entombment will be in Fort Howard Memorial Park. To send online condolences, please go to www.BlaneyFuneralHome.com.The DeClerc family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Unity Hospice for the wonderful care and kindness shown to Claire over the past two years. She was blessed with the opportunity to stay at the Residence five different times and was treated like a queen. We would like to extend a special thank you to Nancy, Kang, Natalia, Maggie, Justin, Cindi, and Kristy. We also express our sincere gratitude to Barb Schneider and Marion Griffin for their loving care, and to Claire's grandson, Jason for his dedication and hard work to help keep Claire in her home.