Father Clair Boes, retired priest of the diocese, 86, died Nov. 6 at the Marian Home in Fort Dodge. He was born the fifth of nine children on Nov. 16, 1938, in Carroll to William and Laura (Engle) Boes.
His funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 14 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake with burial in the St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery in Breda. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Retired Priest Collection of the Diocese of Sioux City.
Father Boes was a native of Breda and graduated from St. Bernard High School in Breda. He attended Loras College in Dubuque, earning an undergraduate degree in religious studies in 1961. He later attended major seminary at Collegium Canisianum in Innsbruck, Austria. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Bruno Wechner on April 3, 1965, at St. Paul Church in Innsbruck.
Father Boes’ assignments included:
Assistant Pastor, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Sioux City, 1965 to 1969
Assistant Pastor, Holy Spirit Parish, Carroll, 1969 to 1973
Pastor, St. Joseph Parish, Sioux Rapids, Faculty, St. Mary High School, Storm Lake, 1973 to 1984
Pastor, Immaculate Conception Parish, Graettinger, 1984 to 1988
Pastor, St. Mary Parish, Spirit Lake, 1988 to 1993
Pastor, St. Mary Parish, Storm Lake, 1993 to 2000
Pastor, St Andrew Parish, Sibley, attending Ashton, 2000 to 2008
After retirement in 2008, he established residence at St. Francis Parish, Rockwell City, where he celebrated both his 50th and 60th anniversaries of ordination.
He is survived by his eight siblings - Myrna Snyder of Breda; Duane Boes of Fort Collins, Colorado; Dennis (Jan) Boes of Ballwin, Missouri; Ardel (Mary) Boes of Golden, Colorado; Eldon (Joan) Boes of Alexandria, Virginia; Carol Malone of Omaha; Merlin (Connie) Boes of Austin, Minesota; and Susan (Dennis) Schreier of Montrose, Colorado; 23 nieces and nephews; and 22 great-nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents William and Laura Boes, sister-in-law, Joan Boes, brothers-in-law Barry Malone and Clair Snyder, nephews, Brett Boes, Chad Malone and John Snyder.