Julia A. Clem

Julia Ann Clem, 86, of Atchison, Kansas passed away Wednesday, September 4, 2024, after a long battle with ovarian cancer.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 am, Monday, September 16, 2024, at St. Benedict's Church, Atchison, with Father Meinrad Miller, OSB as celebrant. Interment will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. The parish rosary will be recited on Sunday, September 15 at 4:30 p.m. at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home, with visitation to follow until 6:00 p.m. Memorial contributions are suggested to Mount Saint Scholastica, St. Benedict's school, or the American Cancer Society and may be left in care of Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home.

Julia was born on Halloween, October 31, 1937, in Atchison, Kansas to Albert and Helen (Clark) Handke. She attended rural grade school and St. Benedict's Grade School and graduated from the Mount Saint Scholastica Academy in 1954. She received a B.A. in Mathematics from Mount Saint Scholastica College in 1968 and an M.S. in Technical Teacher Education from Pittsburg State University in 1985.

She married Raymond Albert Clem on June 15, 1957, at St. Benedict's Church, Atchison. They were married 61 years until his death in 2019. She was a life-long Catholic and became a Benedictine Oblate of Mount St Scholastica Monastery in 2015.

As a wife and mother, she was always ready to lead the family activities, traveling to Michael's running events, shuttling Mary Lynn to 4-H activities and joining Raymond on trips from coast to coast. Later in life, she showed her family and friends how to be a loving caregiver to Raymond. Julia's contributions to her community were numerous and varied, with a focus on education and community support. She loved mathematics and taught vocational students at Northeast KS Vocational School for many years. She shared her talents by serving on the Community Corrections Advisory Board, 1st Judicial District Nominating Commission, Atchison Historical Society, and numerous volunteer roles.

Survivors include her sister Kathleen (George) Tyson, Scottsdale, AZ; her daughter, Mary Lynn (Ross) Ray, Winchester, KS; her son, Michael (Deborah) Clem, Los Gatos, CA; two grandchildren, Andrew (Lauren) Clem and Matthew Clem; two step-grandchildren, Carl Ray and Jodi Davis; her great-granddaughter Colbie Julia Clem; five step-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

It is reported that the heavenly reunion of loved ones was quite the affair. Husband Raymond, parents Helen and Albert, brother Owen Handke, children Cathy and Andy were all lovingly gathered for the homecoming celebration. Her cousin, Father Benedict Olsen, gave a blessing and then told a shaggy dog story to start the heavenly party.