She was born on January 22, 1938, in Sewickley, Pa. Cleone was the first daughter of the Rev. Paul E. and Anne C. Daugherty. There was a blizzard that night and her father had to finish his sermon for the next day. It was probably a very short sermon.
As an infant, Cleone lived in Leetsdale, Pa., and then her father accepted a call to a parish in Meadville, Pa. After another move to Butler, Pa., she began school and finished eleven years there. The family moved to Glenshaw, Pa., and Cleone graduated from Shaler Township High School. She enrolled at Thiel College in Greenville, Pa., and after two years, transferred to Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., where she studied for a Bachelor of Music Education degree. Cleone’s parents thought that Moorhead was the “end of the Earth”. Cleone graduated Magna Cum Laud from Concordia and began teaching elementary music in Alexandria, Minn. Her children’s choirs became well recognized and appeared at state music conventions. Gerhard Track, director of the Vienna Boy Choir, requested Cleone’s choir as a demonstation choir in Minneapolis, Minn. Murrae Freng was her mentor and advocate. From Alexandria, Cleone went to Kenosha and taught elementary music, children’s choirs, and junior high girls’ choir. While in Kenosha, she began studying at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. for a Master of Music Education degree. Cleone worked with some very accomplished music educators. Paul J. Christiansen asked her to return to Concordia College to teach elementary music teachers. Cleone changed the focus of her master’s thesis to the development of her curriculm for that position. During a morning coffee break, she met Rod. Cleone and Rod were married in Fargo, N.D., on Sunday, June 4, 1967, as part of the morning worship service. The church was packed with people wanting to see how a wedding could be held during a regular service. Newly married, Cleone continued to teach at Concordia College, while Rod taught at Moorhead State. They went to Madison in 1968, where she taught at Huegel Elementary. Cleone became supervisor of elementary music and taught at the old Nakoma School. She also worked at the Jackson Clinic.
Cleone and Rod have two daughters, Suzanne (Glen) Habedank and Jill (Joseph) Doherty. Cleone really loved her grandchildren, Hannah and Rachel Doherty, and had two wonder-filled times with infant, Jacob Habedank. The last photo of her shows her holding that child and she was radiantly happy.
Cleone had a real passion for children’s voices and the music that they could sing. She excelled with children’s church choirs and enjoyed nearly thirty years of forming and directing them. Larry Kelliher invited her to direct the children’s choir at Bethel Lutheran. Linda Stowe asked her to direct at St. Stephens, and then at Zion Lutheran. Cleone finished her children’s church choir career at Luther Memorial with Bruce Bengtson. She also taught elementary and junior high music at St. Dennis School when Fr. Klink was pastor.
Cleone retired from all of this in 2004. Volunteering in the Luther Memorial office and being a volunteer at Meriter Hospital gave her motivation to keep shopping for nice, classic outfits. Just looking was good therapy.
Quilting became an exciting hobby for Cleone and she enjoyed fabric stores. She always found something for her “stash”. There were also the many cookbooks and recipes. Cleone loved to read, cook, and host guests.
Though her body died at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., the love and spirit she had lives on. Cleone had been stricken by a burst brain aneurysm, and as was her determined nature, lived longer than was expected. She was 75 years, three months, and 23 days of age. Now, for her, there are no more health issues, nor pain. All this, and so much more of a life well-lived and to the fullest, returns us to family.
Paul and Anne are gone. All aunts and uncles are gone, and one cousin, Jane, is gone. Left behind is her husband of nearly 46 years, Rod; daughter, Suzanne Cleone and her husband, Glen Habedank, and infant son, Jacob; daughter, Jill Patricia, and her husband, Joseph Doherty, and their daughters, Hannah and Rachel. Also, remaining behind are sister Patricia, her husband, Bill Hauser, and their children; Lauren, with husband, Scott Hearn and sons Adam and Andrew; Brian Hauser, with his wife, Robin, and their children Jacob, Molly, and Brady; sister Kathleen and her companion pet, Matigan; cousin Gretchen and her husband,Natt Ricker; cousin Linda and her husband E.J. Norton and their son John; cousin Phil Seiberling, his wife Eleanor and two daughters; cousin Jane’s daughter, Jenny Sheehan and her husband Michael; Jane’s son, John Schrimper and his wife Kristin and their children; and lots of cousins on Paul Daugherty’s sister, Ruth Hebrank’s family side.
Cleone loved to be by the sea, and for their 40th and 45th wedding anniversaries, she and Rod went to Maine. She said she always felt like she received a “gift from the sea”. Cleone was a beautiful and incredible person, well –raised, well-scripted, and confident in her life. She lived joyfully in the grace and blessing of God.
A memorial Liturgy and service of Inurnment will be held at Luther Memorial Church, 1021 University Ave., at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 28, 2013. In lieu of flowers, please give to a non-profit organization of one’s choice in Cleone’s memory. SOLI DEO GLORIA.
Gunderson East
Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Dr.
(608) 221-5420
Service:
A memorial Liturgy and service of Inurnment will be held at Luther Memorial Church, 1021 University Ave., at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 28, 2013.