Clara Zelma Molder

Clara Zelma Molder was born January 18, 1924 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of Claude and Valora Turner. Clara moved to Sapulpa with her parents where her father was a Baptist minister. She was a drum major in the marching band and graduated from Sapulpa High School in 1942.

While living in Sapulpa, Clara met Leslie LeRoy Molder whom she married on March 5, 1946 in Andrews, Texas. Clara and Leslie moved around the Texas and Oklahoma oil field towns until they moved to Southern California in 1947. They resided in Torrance, California until their retirement in 1980 at which time they moved to Kerrville, Texas. In 2000, Clara and Leslie moved to Phoenix, Arizona to be closer to their children.

While Clara worked at many jobs during her lifetime, her most important job was wife and mother. She loved to paint, make porcelain dolls, porcelain eggs, and all kinds of crafts. In addition, Clara was a proficient seamstress. She was an avid reader taking a book with her everywhere.

Clara is survived by her loving husband of 57 years, Leslie LeRoy Molder; her sister Gladys Newton of Sioux City, Iowa; her four children; daughter, Soma Ann Colton and her husband Cliff Colton of Long Beach, California; daughter, Kara Lynn Molder of Phoenix, Arizona; son, John Leslie Molder and his wife Linda Molder of Livingston, Texas; daughter, Elva Molder of Phoenix, Arizona. In addition, Clara had two grandchildren, Sabrina Adorno of Long Beach, California and Michael Adorno of Long Beach, California.

Clara passed away on May 19, 2003 in Chandler, Arizona at the age of seventy-nine years, three months and one day of age.