Frances (Samuelson) Seljos

Frances Samuelson Seljos, known to family and friends throughout her life as a kind and gentle spirit, ended her earthly journey Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at her home surrounded by those she loved.  She was 85.  Funeral services will be held at 1:30 P.M., Friday, June 4, at First Presbyterian Church in Clifton, the Rev. Clint Schofield officiating.  Burial will follow in Clifton’s Trinity Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 P.M. Thursday, June 3, 2021 at Clifton Funeral Home.

Thelma Frances Lou Samuelson was born July 24, 1935, in Hamilton County near Cranfills Gap.  She was the youngest of four daughters born to Selmer and Elsie (Hasting) Samuelson.  Descended from early Norwegian immigrants on both sides of her family, Frances held fond memories of rural life on the farm where the family worked hard during the lean years of the Great Depression.  The family first moved to Norse, and then Clifton, where Frances attended school.  She enjoyed her school years and attending playoff football games her junior and senior years while serving as a Clifton cheerleader.  She graduated high school in May 1953 and married Clyde Edwin Seljos that summer on August 7, 1953, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Clifton. 

Eleven years after their marriage, in 1964, the couple was blessed with the arrival of their only child, a daughter they named Marcie Jamelle.  Watching their daughter grow up, while attending Marcie’s school functions and helping with 4-H, FFA projects and livestock shows, were the happiest of memories for the couple.  Throughout their years together, they worked side-by-side in a host of church and civic organizations.  Clyde and Frances celebrated fifty years of marriage in August 2003 before Clyde’s death three months later in November at the age of 74.

Frances Seljos was a busy woman whose hands were never idle; whether at home, the workforce, or in her nearly seventy years of active volunteerism throughout the Clifton community.  In high school, Frances worked in a local café and at Service Drug Store after school and on weekends.  She then worked two years for Jack Tucker Insurance before starting a job as secretary with the Texas State Highway Department in 1955.  She worked there 17 years until the local office closed in 1972.  She then worked 16 years in Medical Records for Goodall-Witcher Hospital until her retirement in 1991, which coincided with Clyde’s retirement from Texas-New Mexico Power Co.  She also worked as secretary for RVOS Insurance. 

Frances was a longtime Lutheran, having been baptized Dec. 31, 1937.  Following their marriage, the couple were members at Trinity Lutheran Church for 47 years before joining Clifton’s First Presbyterian Church in 2000, where Clyde served as an elder and Frances on several congregational committees.

Clyde and Frances spent many thousands of hours helping make Clifton a better place to live through their tireless involvement at Trinity Lutheran and First Presbyterian Church, Clifton Volunteer Fire Department, Central Texas Youth Fair and Rodeo, Clifton Jaycees and Jaycee-Ettes,  Clifton Band Parents and Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).  The couple were charter members of the Norwegian Society/Bosque County Chapter in 1997 with Frances serving as the group’s first secretary.  Frances was a collector of many things, and that hobby led to a booth at the Clifton Antique Mall for many years, where she made many new friends.  For the Norwegian Booth there, she baked bread and made jelly and Norwegian pastries which were sought after by fans near and far.  She was known for her skills as a wonderful cook and had hundreds of cookbooks.  She loved pets throughout her life and her beloved kitty, Smokey, was by her side until the end.

Frances was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Clyde; sisters Alline Samuelson, Mildred Amundson and Wanda Pilant.  She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter and son-in-law, Marcie and Brian Gillaspie of Clifton; and numerous family and friends.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Central Texas Youth Fair or Clifton’s First Presbyterian Church.

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