Clare May (Nelson) Garrett was born September 18,1925, in Salem, Oregon, to Harley Francis and EIla Marie (Blanchet) Nelson. The family lived on Beach Avenue, just off Portland Road, in Salem. In about 1938, Harley, and close family friend Orda Welsh, built their houses at 3635 Portland Road, mirror images of each other, and landmarks for many years. They owned the property from Portland Road west to the railway tracks, and , at the back of the property, raised Jersey cows and provided milk to the dairy co-op, and on the front acre raised dahlias which they entered at the State Fair for a number of years.

Clare spent a lot of time with her grandparents at St. Paul, Oregon, Joseph and Celina Blanchet, and her several uncles, aunts and cousins at the family farm there.

Clare was a direct descendant of Father Francois Norbert Blanchet, who arrived in Oregon in November 1838, with the Hudsons Bay Company overland brigade, as Vicar General to the diverse Indian tribes of the Pacific Northwest, French-Canadians, British and Americans, and others who occupied the vast Oregon country, marking the beginning of the Catholic missions in the Pacific Northwest. Not forgetting the Willamette Valley settlers, he celebrated the first Catholic Mass in Oregon, on Epiphany, June 6,1838, in their log church, the first Catholic church in Oregon, dedicating it to St. Paul. Later that year, St. Paul Mission became the regional administrative center of Catholic Missions and Blanchet's base for the next decade, as well as his final resting place. (from the Oregon Encyclopedia/Oregon Historical Society)

She went to school in Salem, and was a member of the Class of 1943 at Salem High School.

Clare, her mother Ella, their family friend and next-door neighbor for many years, Grace Welsh and her daughter Bertha, enjoyed dancing and went regularly to the Crystal Gardens Ballroom in Salem. That's where she met Bill Garrett, who was with the U.S. Army Calvary and was billeted at the State Fair Grounds with his regiment and their horses. They were married in June 1942.

Clare and Bill had five children (one of whom, Mary Jo, died shortly after birth) and she spent her days as a mother and housewife. In about 1957, she went to work for the State Forestry Department and learned cartography. Later she worked at the Marian County Tax Assessor's office, putting her cartography skills to work, for a number of years. For some time, Clare worked as farm bookkeeper at Aspinwall Farms, just north of Brooks Oregon.

She was a talented artist and enjoyed watercolor painting and cross-stitch needlework. She and her sister purchased a manufactured home in 2005 and spent the last years living together at Shady Acres Mobile Estates on Portland Road.

Clare is survived by her sister, Edna Nelson, her children, Kay (Paul) White of Silverton, Oregon; Susan Garrett of Port Coquitlam British Columbia, Bill (Wendy) Garrett of Lake Cowichan British Columbia, and Jim Garrett of Edson Alberta.

There will be private burial at Brooks Catholic Cemetery on Thursday, September 6.