PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK John and Pat Claussen of Gladbrook have been named the 2023 Gladbrook Corn Carnival Parade Grand Marshals by the Gladbrook Commercial Club.

GLADBROOK — The Gladbrook Commercial Club has named John and Pat Claussen as the Grand Marshals of the 2023 Grand Parade. The parade will take place on Friday night at 6:30 p.m.

The choice has met with overwhelming support from community members on the Gladbrook Corn Carnival Facebook Page. Jamie Osborn Sager summed it up as she posted, “They both have always had a smile on their faces… Pat doing church plays with the laughs with it and John giving out Smarties and being the barber. They both have always been so kind.” Lisa Gilchrist Reinhard commented, “Well deserved for all they do for the community!” “Awesome” was a common comment.

John is a native Gladbrook man, the son of Harold and Beulah Claussen, he graduated from Gladbrook High School in 1959. He has a sister Audrey Kuhl, of Conrad and a brother, Haines of Lakeville, Minn..

John worked at various Gladbrook businesses and in 1962 he attended the Waterloo Barber College. He apprenticed in Conrad and Charles City and then spent a stint in the Army. In 1966 he bought Earl Coobs Barber Shop, then located under the furniture store. He moved to the Gilchrist building and when that burned, he moved next door to Spanky’s for six years. John notes, “I’ve cut hair for several families for four generations.” He is the only barber that a good number of the Gladbrook area residents have ever had cut their hair.

John retired earlier this year due to health reasons. He said his retirement plans include “getting better and maybe being able to plant some more trees.”

John and his first wife, Patricia, had two children. The late Tanya Richards was a psychologist for AEA 11 and she and her husband, Tom Richards, had two sons. John’s son, Matt, lives in Grimes and works at the Altoona Bass Pro Shop in the fishing department. He has five children. John said, “I was devastated when my wife died of breast cancer in 1992.”

John met Pat Seeley at a Business Professional Dance in Waterloo at the Ramada Inn in 1993. The couple “courted” until they were married at Peace Church in 2003. Pat Quipped, “We wore out two good cars during that time.” They took dancing lessons from Faith Kubik, and she was the DJ at their wedding.

John loves fishing and 25 years ago became committed to Trees Forever. There are more than 500 trees planted in Gladbrook and around the Lake, thanks to John and his myriad of volunteers. He would like to see more trees planted along the Carnival Parade route. The City Park was the first project and those trees are a beautiful legacy.

John’s community involvement includes being a Charter Member Jaycee, 50 year member of the American Legion, Charter Member of Sons of American Legion, Commercial Club and a lifelong member of Peace United Church of Christ. John has been a constant member of the Choir and the Men’s Chorus as well as singing with Pat.

Pat was born and raised in the Rochester, Mich. area. She attended college at North Iowa Community College (NICC) at Calmar and received her BA and Masters from UNI. She raised her family in Burr Oak, near Decorah, and is mom to three children: Penny Kremer of Sparta, WI; William Seelye of Lacrosse; and Lester Seelye of Cresco. Between John and Pat they have 11 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Pat taught at Hawkeye Community College and then taught at William Penn in Oskaloosa for four years, then was back to teach at NICC in Calmar. She was an English teacher for William Penn in northeast Iowa and in Platteville, WI. She was Gladbrook City Clerk from 2001 to 2003. She retired from teaching in 2009.

A longtime member of Peace Church, Pat sings in the Church Choir as well as with John and in small ensembles. She is the leader of the Book Club. Her hobbies include reading, playing cards with a couple of groups and enjoying the vegetable and flower garden in their backyard. Pat’s niece posted on Facebook, “Pat is a scrabble wizard. One smart cookie. Proud to be her niece.”

The couple love to watch the birds feast at the huge bird feeder in their backyard. Pat quickly named off 10 species of birds that frequent their feeder, ranging from humming birds to indigo buntings to wrens.

Asked about favorite Carnival memories they related that the line-up for dignitary cars is directly in front of their house. Because there are no restrooms close, they have had politicians and dignitaries use their bathroom. John said one year the Carnival placed a ride with a horrible squeak outside his barber shop, and then the noisy generator; he said he complained and then laughed when they put “the portable pooper” there.

In the early years, there were polka bands and old time swing bands at the Carnival. Attendance was very low, so a teen band was hired and John says, “We sold a thousand tickets.” In 1994 John was the lucky recipient of the first Carnival Quilt drawing.

At this writing John had just returned home from an 11 day stint in the hospital. He commented, “I hope to get better so I can plant more trees and have shade all along the parade route.” Pat added, “We are both tree huggers from the git go.”

Congratulations to an awesome couple who will represent the community and the Carnival very well as the 2023 Grand Marshals.