Clara Mary (Staudinger) Stithem of Salina passed away on April 15, 2025 at age 81. She was born in Great Bend, Kansas on March 17, 1944, the eldest daughter of Anton and Agnes (Zeman) Staudinger. Clara grew up on a farm near Beaver, Kansas and attended St. Joseph Grade School in Beaver through 8th grade. She then attended Prep School with the Dominican Sisters at the Immaculate Conception Convent in Great Bend, Kansas for two years before graduating from Hoisington High School in Hoisington, Kansas.
Clara attended Brown Mackie Business School in Salina and after graduation accepted a Federal Civil Service Position as secretary at Fort Leavenworth Army Base in Leavenworth, Kansas. After two years, she transferred to Shilling Air Force Base in Salina as a Base Supply Accounting Clerk and then transferred to work in the finance office as payroll clerk for the state Soil Conservation Service.
On May 8, 1965, she married the love of her life, Jack Gail Stithem. After the arrival of their twins in 1971, she became a stay-at-home mother and caretaker for several other children of teachers at St. Mary's Grade School in Salina. After the M&M twins entered school, she began working at St. Mary's as the school secretary and bookkeeper. In that role, she helped care for the staff, students and families for nearly 25 years. In 2000, she was asked to become the Executive Secretary for the Bishop of the Salina Catholic Diocese, a position she held until September of 2018 when she retired after serving four Bishops and two Diocesan Administrators. She loved her priests and her Bishops, and she truly valued religious vocations.
Clara was a fan of good church music, Elvis, ice cream and house plants. She enjoyed seeing her children, grandchildren and their friends excel and make a difference in the world. She was honored to help the children and teachers at St. Mary's Grade School and the religious men and women of the Diocese of Salina. She was blessed to travel on a Holy Land pilgrimage and to Rome for the installation of one of her Bishops. She was devoted to her Saturday night shift at the Adoration Chapel, the Rosary and the Blessed Mother, knew the value of prayer and was extremely active in her parish and diocese. She believed in angels and had many on her side during tough times. Even as she lost her memory, she knew how to love and how to make others around her feel loved.
Clara dearly loved her husband and her family. She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, godmother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, cousin, friend and neighbor. Special thanks to the staff and nurses at OCCK, Accessible, Gentiva Hospice and Cedarhurst. Thanks for your gentle kindness in helping Clara be comfortable in her last days. Survivors include her husband Jack, daughter Marsha (Christopher) Kalkowski of Omaha; son Marvin (Brandi) Stithem of Mulvane; four grandchildren: Logan (Katie) Kalkowski, Kadi Stithem (Michael) Hogan, Cole (fiancee Alyssa Moser) Kalkowski, Emma Stithem (David) Kanaby; two great grandchildren: Faustina Hogan and Charles Kalkowski. Other survivors include her sister Roselle (Dennis) Williams, sister-in-law Mary Ann Staudinger, brother Raymond, special double-cousin Trisha Mills and dear friends Dale and Linda Deines. Clara was preceded in death by her loving parents, all of her aunts and uncles, her brother Leonard and several cousins.
In memory of Clara, please hug your family members and tell them that you love them. Please thank the secretaries, office staff and those who pick up after you. Please donate your time, talents and your treasure to your church and school. Please spend time with those you love and make memories while you can. Please remember someone's birthday and please pay it forward.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial to Gentiva Hospice, St. Mary Queen of the Universe Catholic Church of Salina or the Salina Catholic Diocese.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 21, 2025 at St. Mary Queen of the Universe Catholic Church, 230 E. Cloud, Salina. A rosary will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a short visitation before the service time. Burial will follow in All Saints Catholic Cemetery, all in attendance are welcome to a luncheon following the burial at St. Mary’s Parish Center.