Thelma L. Clausen

July 21, 1925 - November 1, 2017

Thelma L Clausen received her wings on Wednesday, November 1st, 2017. The Mom had a little more than 92 successful orbits around our star. She was born in Philadelphia, July 21, 1925 and has lived in Levittown since 1952 when her and The Dad went to see what this guy was doing making houses out of Redwood. Thelma worked in banking and then went to work for Educational Testing Service in Princeton NJ. Starting in keypunch operations and then promoted up several times to become the head of PSI room. I remember ETS as being way ahead of the times and a wonderful place to work. I believe The Mom and The Dad invented, "Take Your Kid To Work Day" as Dad would come by with his tractor trailer and pick me up for an all day adventure delivering the nations product. My buddies and I would spend all morning fishing the creek at ETS and then come to the cafeteria for lunch with Mom and her friends. Then back to fishing till the end of the day. Thelma was a founding member of Christ Lutheran Church in Lakeside. And later 3 sister churches merged to become Emmaus Road Lutheran Church. She was President of the women's group, WELCA, served on council as secretary. Pastor Bixby at the time loved the minutes she took of council meetings and told her so, many times. One particular time He could not attend a meeting and the next morning when he read the minutes, he felt as though he was there. He called Mom and told her she should start writing. She laughed it off, but he was persistent and told her she had a God given talent and should not waste it. Somewhat like when a professor at ETS prodded her to summit herself for a managerial position that became available. The Mom had not attended any college and felt she would never qualify for the position. The professor did not give up and that's when Mom started bringing all manner of study books home to get ready for the testing………….And she was awarded the position and it changed her life in many ways and that's why I say ETS was way ahead of the times. A position that would take several University degrees to attain, found a way to make it "Just So". That was one of The Moms famous sayings. Everything had to be, "Just So". Another one was, "God Knows, God Shows". So with the help of Pastor Bixby and God, mom started writing for the Church news letter. Every month she would search and get uplifting stories by different authors from around the world and then she would write editorial comment on how it related to her life. Her column was quite the hit with those that read it. On one such time my cousin Deb invited and took her Mom Elsie, my Mom and their friend Madeline, Up to Debs cabin in Bloomsburg Pa. Deb knew my Moms love for dolls so she took them to this Doll Shop in the area. Something must have been said while they where there and all of sudden, the owner of the doll shop asked my Mom if she was Thelma Clausen, The Thelma Clausen of Christ Lutheran Church on the lake. Surprised, my Mom then learned that the owner was sent a copy of the newsletter from her friend who got it from her friends friend sister who was a past member of the church. Mom would mail the newsletter to all past members that where now living elsewhere and we never did find out who that was that forwarded it so many people to land in the hands of stranger. God Knows, God Showed!!!!! She also served on worship and music and basically anything going on in church. -The Dreaded Life Grabber- Dementia should be outlawed. Around 2008, I started noticing The Mom was having trouble getting stories for the newsletter and asked me to help with that. The net is a wonderful depository of anything you want to know, so I started getting her inspirational stories for her column. That lasted till about 2010 when I started to see her having a problem writing what to say that went along with the story. So I started to help with things in her life that related and that went on till around 2014. Several things happened, one being that she could not write anymore on my old Word processor. So I would get the story, read it to mom and then discuss something in her life and we would then decide what to write. I was basically her ghost writer then on. The other thing that happened in 2014 that really brought it to the forefront that the "D" word had a hold of Mom, was at my cousin Mag's 60th birthday celebration held at the Edgely Boat Club. Like a reunion, the whole family was there. Mom was very close to everyone, yet she had to ask me who this was and who that was and then she remembered. Right before Christmas of 2009, Mom gave up her driver's license. She still had her license, but decided on her own that she could not drive anymore. My White Knuckles finally got their color back. One time we were coming from church with the alter flowers to deliver them to shut-in's. We pulled up to the light at Levittown Parkway and Millcreek road. Light turns green and she floored it. I'm slammed back against the seat with somewhere close to 3 or 4 G's and she looks over at me doing maybe 60/70 miles an hour and says, "They can never beat me"……………………….I said, "MOM, it was a dump truck". So now I'm driving mom all over to do her church things and shopping at Shoprite in Fairless Hills and Kohls in Yardley and so forth. In the evening I would always go to the Wawa on Bristol Pike, Morrisville, PA., get a coffee and then come back through Falls Township Community Park. So now, I'm taking Mom for the ride. One day I pulled up to the boat ramp to sit and enjoy my coffee and the Mom with her hot chocolate. That's when she noticed about eight ducks across the lake on the shore doing duck things. So I got out of the car, walked down to the edge of the water and did a loud Quack Quack Quack. It was the funniest thing as the ducks jumped into the water and started swimming towards us. I hijacked some crackers from Wawa so I gave them to The Mom and opened her door hoping they would come up to the car so she could feed them. And they did, running like long lost friends. That began an everyday event for the next 6 years with her feeding the ducks, Mrs. Waddles, Slim Man Tan, Black Fart, Snow Flake, Mr. Grey, Tawny, Ambassador Quack and Cuddles. When I started naming them, Mrs. Waddles was named Mr. Waddles until Mr. Grey was trying to have babies one day with Mr. Waddles. That's when his named changed to Mrs. Waddles. After feeding them while driving out of the park, Mom would wave at everyone. The famous Waving lady and that's when I named her The Boat Lady. She asked why and I said, "The only place I know where everyone waves to each other is on a boat………..and motorcycles". And the Guards knew her as the Infamous Duck Lady. After about a year, mom didn't want to go home after the park so then for the next 5 years we went to Bristol and sat on the river behind Wells Fargo Bank. It was the bank she worked at before I was put together and I think it was Fidelity Bank then, not sure. And the waving continued. Over the years we got to meet some very special people at the Park and in Bristol. You all know who you are. I just want to convey my gratitude to all that touched the last days of my mother's life. You were very special to her. The beginning of 2017, mom had a bad fall and I had call for help. St Mary's Hospital kept her for about a week and then she went to Crestview Rehab Center. After a couple weeks I was able to bring her home. I would like to thank everyone from the Levittown Rescue Squad, Bristol Twp Police, St Mary's Hospital, Crestview Rehab Center and my neighbor Scott. This then brought a new chapter to our dally excursions to the park and Bristol water front. So I called it, we're going up the lazy river to the sleepy town. Which was the Wawa in Yardley for coffee and a hot chocolate and then to the Yardley Boat Ramp. Mom went peacefully in her home holding my hand and God's in the other. Her memory will be cherished by her son, Andrew (Drew) Clausen, Jr. of Levittown, daughter June Crevar of Liberty Boro, PA, granddaughter Dr. Ember L. Crevar of New Castle, DE, sisters Elsie Henderson of Levittown, and Josie Traver of Bear, DE, as well as many nieces and nephews. A celebration of life will be held at Emmaus Road Lutheran Church, 2185 Bristol Oxford Valley Road, Levittown Pa. November 11th at 1:00pm