Claire E. Vomhof

Claire Vomhof, 89, of Rochester, passed away on February 3, 2018 at Samaritan Bethany in Rochester. Claire Eilert Vomhof was born July 12, 1928 in Racine, MN to Eugene and Lauretta (Gieseke) Vomhof. He attended country school through eighth grade and graduated from Stewartville High School in 1946. He married Dorene Kohlmeyer on July 24, 1949 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Wykoff, MN. Claire and Dorene farmed for forty years, first in Racine and later in Wykoff. They retired from the farm in 1988 and moved to Milwaukee, where he attended college for two years and received a degree as a Lay Minister. Claire always wanted to be a pastor. After a brief interruption of 40 years of dairy farming, he was able to fulfill that dream and became the visitation pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Rochester at age 72, a job he cherished. He was in that capacity from 2000-2016 visiting and bringing communion to the homebound. He also served as a Chaplain for Olmsted Medical Center and for the Prison Ministry in Rochester. Claire wrote letters to family and friends and words of encouragement to many others over the years, sometimes writing over a 100 letters a month. He shared that gift of writing with poems at the baptisms of his younger grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. He also wrote three books, sharing the love of Christ through his experience in the ministry. Claire and Dorene were blessed with nine children. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Dorene; three sons, Larry (Deb) of Chatfield, MN, Dean (Cheryl) of Gillette, WY and Paul (Linda) Vomhof of Wykoff, MN; five daughters, Dawn (Glen) Halvorsen of Lakeville, MN, Deb (Jim) Brown of Rochester, MN, Marion (Dan) Vomhof of La Mesa, CA, Muriel (Don) Vomhof of West St. Paul, MN and Grace Adams of Eagan, MN and daughter-in-law, Greta Vomhof of Jacksonville, FL. He is also survived by his sister, Laurel Graham of Victoria, TX; sister-in-law, Ruth Grabau of Phoenix, AZ; sister and brother-in-law, Helen and Don Keyes of Wykoff, MN; twenty-four grandchildren; twenty-four great-grandchildren; two great, great-grandsons and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a son, Lynn; an infant son; brother, Eugene; sisters-in-law, Phyllis Vomhof, Eunice Kohlmeyer, and Dorothy Meyer; brothers-in-law, Walter Kohlmeyer, Leonard Meyer, Arnie Graham and Reuben Grabau. A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. Thursday, February 8, 2018 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 222 6th Ave. SW, Rochester, MN. Visitation will be held from 4:00-8:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes, 5421 Royal Place NW, Rochester and one hour prior to the service at the church. The Rev. Nathaniel Schwartz and Rev, Joel Haak will be officiating with interment at St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery in Wykoff, MN. Memorial contributions may be directed to St. John's Lutheran School in Wykoff or to Trinity Lutheran Church, Rochester. To share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com