Clara Louise was 14 at the time of her mother's death and at age 15, on 14 Nov 1905, married Frederick Roy Holbrook, son of Albert Warren Holbrook and Olive M. Baker. It was said that they met when Fred worked for her uncle Frank in his ice business. Alice, their first child was born in Mankato (1906). Within a few years they migrated to Walker, MN where Elmer was born, (1909) and then moved to Zahl, ND with the Holbrook family and homesteaded there. The couple had 2 more children in Zahl; Paul and Clifford, and on 18 Jan 1918 Frederick died of a ruptured appendix at the hospital in Grenora, ND. At the age of 28 Clara became a widow with four young children. Clara remarries . . .
After Clara's husband Fred died, Clara's grandmother Bertha Hidde and Clara's half sister Elvira Mae ‘Toots' came to North Dakota to stay with Clara and her children. On May 15, 1918, grandmother Bertha passed away. Her hired hand Alfred Fjeld had been drafted and was leaving to fight in the war. The day before Alfred was to join the Army for WWI, on Jul 6 of 1918, Clara accompanied Alfred to Williston, ND and married him.
In August 1918, Clara traveled to Battle Creek Michigan to see Alfred. A flu epidemic broke out and Clara was quarantined there for three months. During that time she worked at the military laundry to support herself. Back at home her half sister, Mae Stein (Toots), and Alfred's brother Johnny took care of her four children. On Nov 1918, the armistice for WWI was signed and Alfred returned home in June of 1919. To this union five children were born. In 1937 Alfred and Clara and thier family returned to Mankato to care for Clara's Uncle Frank who was ill.
MRS ALFRED FJELD-Funeral services will be Tuesday for Mrs. Alfred (Clara) Fjeld, 82 of Route 5 who died Saturday in the Hilltop Hospital unit after a two week illness. The service will be at St. Johns Catholic Church at 11 a.m. with burial in Grandview Memorial Gardens. (aka Woodland Hills Cemetery)
Visitation is at the Landkamer Funeral home until the time of the funeral. A rosary will be recited at 8:30 p.m. tonight at the funeral home.
Mrs. Fjeld is survived by her husband Alfred; four sons, Elmer Holbrook, Mankato, Clifford Holbrook of Conrad, MT, Paul Holbrook of Aiken, and Cyril Fjeld of Mankato; six daughters, Mrs. Alice Page of Spokane, WA, Mrs. Marcella Button of Minneapolis, Mrs. Mabel Krenik of LeCenter, Mrs. Alma Osmundson of Golden, CO, Mrs. Dolores Geottl of Mankato, and Mrs. Judith Peterson of St. Peter; 50 grandchildren; 64 great grandchildren; and eight great-great grandchildren.
Mrs. Fjeld was born Aug 18, 1890, in Mankato. She lived in Zahl, ND from 1910 until 1937 and then returned to Mankato.
She was a member of Royal Neighbors of American, VFW Post 950 women's auxiliary and World War I Barracks.
Source: Mankato Free Press, 3 Jun 1973