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Rev. Father Clair Boes, 86, of Rockwell City passed away on Nov. 6, 2025.
Visitation will take place Thursday, Nov. 13, from 4-7 p.m. with Vigil Service at 7 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Visitation will continue on Friday, Nov. 14, from 9-10:15 a.m. followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake followed by luncheon. Burial will be in St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery in Breda. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Retired Priest Collection of the Diocese of Sioux City. Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements.
The fifth of nine children, he was born to William and Laura (Engel) Boes, on Nov. 16, 1938, in Carroll.
Raised on a farm, he graduated from St. Bernard High School, Breda. He attended Loras College in Dubuque for Minor Seminary, graduating with a BA in religious studies in 1961. He was honored to be selected for Major Seminary education at the Canisianum/University of Innsbruck, Austria. He was ordained at St. Paul Church in Innsbruck on April 3, 1965.
He was so pleased that his parents and uncle, Father Norbert Boes, were able to attend the ordination and then tour the area. Fr. Clair celebrated his first Mass in Ramsdorf, Germany, where they met with Boes family relatives and he was presented with the bell of Ramsdorf. They attended Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square and were so delighted when Pope Paul VI was carried in close proximity to them.
His deep faith developed trust and loyalty among his parishioners, who then became lifelong friends. He saw the worth of every person and their value, wherever they were in their life journey. His empathetic communication skills and deep sense of justice were a visible quality to all and the ability to weave relatable stories into his homilies was part of his persona. Priest brothers were also his family, especially the camaraderie of his support group.
Fr. Clair loved Tyrol, and the singing and dancing of the German beer halls, thus his collection of beer steins! His love for skiing started in Innsbruck, and he was thrilled to attend the Winter Olympics in 1964. Attending Innsbruck reunions with fellow Americans was a highlight of most summers. Skiing remained a lifelong passion, which he was able to enjoy with his Colorado brothers and their families and took many skiing vacations with his fellow priest friends.
Family was so important to him, interacting with wit, especially with his nieces and nephews. He provided many delightful stories of his experiences and loved to listen to theirs. There were innumerable family meals and celebrations, often leading to clearing the table for raucous card games. This is where he honed his poker skills (or luck!). As a result, there were just a few casino visits. A melodious voice was a gift of his, rare among some of the Boes siblings, and was known for lining up the girls for dancing at the Starline in Carroll.
Diocesan assignments were as follows:
Established residence at St. Francis Parish, Rockwell City, where he celebrated both his 50th and 60th anniversaries of ordination.
Survived by eight siblings: Myrna Snyder of Breda; Duane Boes of Fort Collins, Colo.; Dennis (Jan) Boes of Ballwin, Mo.; Ardel (Mary) Boes of Golden, Colo.; Eldon (Joan) Boes of Alexandria, Va.; Carol Malone of Omaha, Neb.; Merlin (Connie) Boes of Austin, Minn.; and Susan (Dennis) Schreier of Montrose, Colo.; 23 nieces and nephews; and 22 great-nieces and nephews.
Preceded in death by parents, William and Laura Boes; sister-in-law Joan Boes; brothers-in-law, Barry Malone and Clair Snyder; nephews: Brett Boes, Chad Malone and John Snyder.
