Clara Strehlow (born 1895) was among the first students at a new deaconess school which opened Watertown, Wisconsin in the 1920s. This new training program did not require deaconess trainees to become nurses. Clara was consecrated on May 1, 1927, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Watertown.
Her first assignment was to the Kinderheim in Addison, Illinois; followed by the Institute for the Deaf in Detroit, Michigan; and Grace Lutheran Church, St. Louis, Missouri. When Deaconess Hall was built at Valparaiso University in 1958, Clara was called to serve as its first house director. As “deaconess in residence” Clara lived in Deaconess Hall and among other functions, served as a mentor and “counselor” for deaconess students living in Deaconess Hall. She remained in this position until her retirement in 1963.
In 1934, Clara was a founding member of the “Conference for Deaconesses” (later to be known as the Lutheran Deaconess Conference). She served as the first president from 1934-38. Clara was a frequent speaker and presenter, often for the LWML, and in 1964, undertook a world tour, visiting many of the sites where LWML grant funds had been used.
Clara continued to serve God in many ways, even after her retirement and was involved in the movement to create a deaconess training program specifically for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Clara died in 1985.
