Clarice Elaine Green

Clarice Elaine Green was born in rural Worth county, Iowa on October 5, 1929, the second daughter of Selmer and Gladys Bendickson. Early in her childhood, during the Depression era, as occurred in many families, the pressures caused the family to dissolve. Clarice and her sister, Doris, lived with their father for a period of time, but he eventually became unable to adequately care for them and they were placed in Iowa’s foster care system and brought to Des Moines.

There, Clarice was legally adopted, in 1944, by Art and Margaret Livingston. Shortly after, the family moved to Davenport, where Clarice attended and graduated from Moline Lutheran Hospital’s nursing school. Her adoption ultimately proved to be the path to meeting her future husband, Bill. The Livingston family and the Green family were both active in Central Gospel Chapel, a Plymouth Brethren assembly in Des Moines.

In March of 1951, Bill and Clarice married and enjoyed 58 years of marriage prior to Bill’s death in April of 2009. During that time, they were involved in three churches in the Des Moines area, Central Gospel Chapel, Airport Baptist Church and First Federated Church.

For a number of years at First Federated, Bill served as the visitation pastor. He and Clarice spent countless hours together visiting folks who were sick, hospitalized or had experienced the death of a loved one. As an adjunct ministry to that, Clarice sent literally thousands of cards celebrating birthdays and anniversaries as well as offering sympathy and encouragement. She continued the card ministry on her own for nearly ten years following Bill’s death.

In 2015, Clarice elected to leave the home she and Bill shared for over fifty years and relocate to Calvin Community. She resided in their Assisted Living area for four-and-a-half years, then transitioned to their Health Center for the final three years of her life. We cannot adequately express our gratitude to all the Calvin staff for the compassionate care and attention given to Clarice during the time she resided there.

Clarice was warmly welcomed into the loving arms of her Creator and Savior in the early hours of January 8, 2023 four days after suffering a stroke in her sleep. Clarice was preceded in death by both her birth and adoptive parents, her older sister, Doris, and her husband, Bill. She is survived by one son, Ed (Kem), two grandchildren, James (Carly) and Emily, and five great-grandchildren, Gracelyn, Eliana, William, Benjamin and Hudson as well as nieces, Karen Sweem and Rhonda Krile and nephew, Larry Smith.

Clarice’s family would be pleased to have any memorial contributions directed to the Calvin Community Foundation Good Samaritan Fund, Donate Here in Clarice’s memory, to help meet the financial needs of Calvin residents who have depleted their assets.

We are also grateful for your presence here today, both to honor Clarice’s memory and to support and encourage us, her surviving family.

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