Clarice E. Lovas, 92, died Friday, January 9, 2015, surrounded by her loving family, at Benedictine Care Community in Ada, Minnesota.

In 1922, Clarice was born in Minneapolis, the oldest of three daughters to Ingvald and Sophia Iverson Ekse. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1940 and attended Augsburg College and McPhaill School of Music until the outbreak of WW 2. At that time she enrolled in Dickenson Business College which prepared her for a secretarial position in the sky-scraping Minneapolis Foshay Tower.

In 1944, Clarice married Herman Lovas (of Hillsboro, ND) a cousin of her best friend. It was a whirlwind romance, and one that continued until Herman's death from cancer in 1988. In the early spring of 1947, Clarice and Herman Lovas moved their 2 babies from an apartment in Minneapolis to a farm in Ada, MN. The barn was beautiful. The house had a pump in the kitchen, a privy out back and no central heat. Clarice, ever the Pollyanna, saw only exciting "possibilities". However, her former life as a sheltered college student in the city hadn't prepared her for the rigors of life ahead with the handsome North Dakota farm boy. It was quite an adventure, and one to which Clarice applied all of her many talents and abilities.

The couple had 6 children, Carole, (Jack) Donn in Manitou Springs, CO; John (Bev) Lovas, in Eden Prairie, MN; David (Sue) Lovas in Cassoday, KS; Susan Lovas Lake in Manitou Springs, CO, Martha (Rick) Munter in Ada, MN and Ann (Hal) Parsons in Fargo, ND.

Clarice's gift of music endured until her death. She was a pianist, composer and pitch-perfect vocalist, entertaining in many venues. Her organizational talents were employed for as Norman County Assistant Director of FEMA and Office Manager for Trollwood Village in Fargo, ND. She retired in 1984 and in 2007 moved to Bridges Care Community in Ada, MN.

In addition to her children, Clarice is survived by grandchildren: Amy Lovas Collins, Adam Kennedy, Aaron Donn, Stacy Lovas Pie, Eric Lake, Charlie Munter, Elli Lake Laurila, Randy Munter, Amy Peterson O'Brien, Benjamin Donn, Alicia Lovas, Sarah Donn Weston, Jacob Parsons and Seri Parsons Moch; 32 great-grandchildren; and her sister, Barbara Ekse Carlson of Minneapolis.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, grandchildren: Matthew Holte and Sophia Laurilla, and sister Marilyn Ekse Person.

Memorial Service: 1:00PM Saturday, January 17, 2015, Grace Lutheran Church, Ada.

Visitation: One hour before the service at the church.

Interment: Ada Municipal Cemetery, Ada, MN.