Lauren R. Simonson

Lauren Ronald Simonson, 76, of Clear Lake, died Tuesday, April 9, 2019, in Huntersville, N.C.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 20, at Galilean Lutheran Church, 4454 255th St., Clear Lake, with Pastor Scot McCluskey officiating.  Burial will be at Clear Lake Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, April 19, at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. 4th St., Clear Lake.

Family suggests memorial contributions to Clear Lake Public Library or Galilean Lutheran Church.

Lauren was born June 1, 1942, the son of Andrew Matthew and Ella Beatrice (Nelson) Simonson, in Fort Dodge.  He married Kayla Jeanne Luckstead on May 9, 1970, in Clear Lake, and to this union two children were born.

A graduate of Rolfe High School, in Rolfe, Iowa, Lauren continued his education at Waldorf College before attending Buena Vista College, earning a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and he later earned his master’s and specialist degrees in K-12 Guidance from the University of Northern Iowa.  He started his teaching career in Gowrie, Iowa, then later was the junior high guidance counselor at Clear Lake Junior High.  He then became an elementary guidance counselor at North Fayette Elementary, in West Union, Iowa.  For the next 16 years, Lauren worked for the Heartland Area Education Agency as a guidance consultant residing in Newton, Iowa, where he then retired in 1998.

Lauren was a member of Galilean Lutheran Church, in Clear Lake, Clear Lake Jaycees, Clear Lake Lions Club, Newton Izaak Walton League, Newton Elks, and the Iowa School Counselors Association.  He spent much of his free time enjoying the outdoors, building homes, woodworking, and he was a Master Gardner.  Lauren especially loved lake activities including fishing and boating on Clear Lake and Lake Norman in Cornelius, N.C., where he and Kayla spent winters beginning in 2007.

Lauren is survived by his wife of 48 years, Kayla Simonson, of Clear Lake; two children, Teresa Simonson, of West Des Moines, and Tom (wife, Tellie) Simonson, of Cornelius; three grandsons, Andrew, Zachary and Grant Simonson, of Cornelius; a brother, Roger Simonson (wife, Audrey) of Rolfe, and a brother-in-law, Les Carlson of Manchester, Iowa; and nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and a sister, Carol Carlson.

Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapels, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.

Clear Lake Mirror Reporter

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