Clare Meier
1952-2023
Clare Meier, 70, of Rib Lake, is singing psalms of praise in the presence of her Lord and Savior, following her final victory over the cancer that ravaged her earthly body these last few months. Clare was born the first of seven children to Clarence and Eloise (Szerlong) Nowobielski on Nov. 21, 1952, and died Sept. 3, 2023. She grew up on the family farm just outside of Thorp. She received a bachelor’s of science degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, a nursing degree from Northcentral Technical College, and a certificate in Bible and missions from Bethany College of Missions. Oct. 5, 1974, Clare married Wes Meier and moved to the town of Spirit. Clare and Wes started and ran a forestry consulting business from their home starting in the 1970s. Clare focused mostly on being a stay-athome mom from 1980 onward, when the first of their three children was born.
Clare’s life changed drastically again in 1992, when Wes was diagnosed with colon cancer, which Clare and he fought together for almost two years, until Wes’ death in January of 1994. She completed her nursing degree in 1997 and worked for a few years as a nurse for Hope Hospice, but ultimately decided to follow her life’s dream of working on the mission field overseas. In 2005 she took a leap of faith and enrolled in Bethany Global University for a one-year mission training program. Following her time at Bethany, she began her search for her place on the mission field, ultimately ended up deciding to leave her home in Spirit and commit to spending a year in Chiang Mai, Thailand, sharing the Gospel. While in Chiang Mai, Clare was given the opportunity to spend a few weeks working among the hill tribes in Yunnan Province in China, and her memoir, “Where in the World is Yunnan Province?” culminates the telling of her life story with that time in China. After a year in Thailand, she returned to the US and to focus instead on combining her heart for care with her heart for missions by helping people in rural Price and Taylor Counties access basic care.
Clare’s life was lived in the joy of the Lord, and though she endured many struggles, her faith in the free gift of salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross was the firm rock on which she stood. That legacy of faith will live on through the many, many lives that she touched in so many ways and so many places.
She is survived by her seven grandchildren, Emma, Elijah, Josiah, Ezekiel and Philip Scott and Wesley and Marilyn Gray; as well as her children, Martha (Jordan) Scott of Spirit, Andy (Ania) Meier of La Crosse, and Debbie (Patrick) Gray of Chiang-Mai, Thailand. She is further survived by her mother Eloise; four brothers, Ed, John, Frank and Jerry Nowobielski, two sisters, Judy Conner, and Pat Jarocki, and by two sisters-inlaw, Marilyn Erickson and Marie Arneson.
Clare was preceded in death by her husband of just 19 years, Wes, in 1994; and her father, Clarence, in 2016.
The family would like to especially thank Hope Hospice & Palliative Care for being an invaluable support as we navigated these last months with Clare, and the staff at Rib Lake Health Services for providing care for Clare for her last week so the family could focus on saying goodbye.
Heindl-Nimsgern Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Paid Obituary 141834
