She attended a rural grade school, graduated from Mitchell High School and attended Dakota Wesleyan University. In 1949 Clarice married John D. Orr, Sr. They had four children, John David, Jr., Cheryle, Cynthia and Rebecca. The family lived in Springfield and Brookings, S.D. before moving to Lincoln in 1956. Clarice worked several jobs before spending the majority of her professional career at the University of Nebraska. During this time, she also became a college student, receiving her B.S. and M.S. In Home Economics where Grandparenting was her focus. She developed a program of grandparent education and gave hundreds of talks throughout Nebraska, other states and Canada. Clarice also presented “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?” patterned after a University of Minnesota Extension program.
Clarice was editor and communications coordinator for the College of Engineering and Technology, also serving as director of the Retirees of the University of Nebraska (RUN) Program, before retiring after 25 years at the University. She then focused on her writing skills, publishing “The Joy of Grandparenting: Grandparents Make a Difference” in 1996. Three years later she published “The Joy of Grandma’s Cooking: Recipes and Stories from the Heart.” She also was the author of numerous stories and articles carried in dozens of newspapers and magazines around the world.
Clarice is survived by her three daughters, Cheryle Paglialonga of Albany, NY, Cynthia Parrott (Doug) of Omaha and Rebecca Reisinger of Lincoln and daughter-in-law Marilyn Orr of Hudson, OH. Her ten grandchildren and spouses include Phillip and Nicole Paglialonga of Roanoke, TX; Michael Paglialonga of Albany, NY; Carrie and Andrew Monahan of Takoma Park, MD; Emilie and Nic George of Seattle WA; Claire and Terence Fitzgibbon of South Bend, IN; Patrick Reisinger of New York City, NY; Alex and Lindsey Reisinger of Gainesville, FL; John D. III and Tanya Orr of Commerce City, CO; Mark Orr of Charlottesville, VA, and Matt Orr of Cuyahoga Falls, OH. She also has been blessed with 14 great grandchildren; Sam, Max, Eli, Lucas, Brandon, Maria, Trisha, Addie, Lucy, Natalie, Tessa, Collin, Ella and Nora.
She is proceeded in death by her parents Clarence and Edna Carlson, brothers Paul, Loren and Keith Carlson, infant brother Dennis, son John David Orr Jr., sons-in-law Lou Paglialonga and Nick Reisinger, and ex-husband John D. Orr, Sr.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on what would have been her 93rd birthday on Thursday, December 28 at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 8550 Pioneers Blvd in Lincoln with refreshments following the service. Interment will be In the New Home Lutheran Cemetery in Mitchell, S.D., where all of Clarice’s pioneer grandparents are buried.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church or New Home Lutheran Cemetery in Mitchell, South Dakota.