Clara Mae Druen

Clara Mae (Thomas) Druen of Hodgenville, Kentucky, died May 5th, 2024 in Evansville, IN, of a brain aneurysm while visiting family for graduation celebrations. She was the wife of Cecil Gorden Druen who passed in 2018. She was also preceded in death by her parents, John H. and Ollie Mae (Bush) Thomas of Alexandria, Kentucky; sister Joyce (Thomas) Boden, and  a baby brother who died in infancy. She was also preceded by several sisters- and brothers-in-law.

Clara leaves behind her children and grandchildren who will miss her deeply: her son, Thomas Shelton “Shel” Druen with wife Takako of Shepherdsville, Kentucky; and daughter Johanna Druen of Evansville, Indiana. Their children are LCDR Samuel Druen, USN, (wife Kristin) in Norfolk, Virginia; Jake Rusk of Evansville, IN; Laura Rusk of Evansville, IN; and Maiyuki Druen, a veterinarian student in Glasgow, Scotland. She is also survived by one sister, Peggy Appel (spouse Bob) of Alexandria, Kentucky,, and one brother, John F. Thomas of Falmouth, Kentucky. She was also close to her in-laws.

Clara graduated from Campbell County High School and then went on to Eastern Kentucky University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education. She soon earned her master’s degree in library science and also completed her Rank 1. She served as a 1st grade teacher at Radcliff Elementary for one year, then was hired by Mrs. Ora Tabb to be a 1st grade teacher at Magnolia Elementary. She moved into the library at both Magnolia and Buffalo Elementaries where she served until she retired in 1992.

After leaving education, Clara joined the LaRue County Disaster and Emergency Services as the 911 Coordinator and Director of Emergency Services. She was instrumental in updating the county’s plans for responding to disasters once the federal government changed protocols post-911. She was also instrumental in getting the 911 service established in LaRue County and updating map locations and addresses to insure that everyone in the county could be easily found in an emergency.

Clara also volunteered in every church in which she was a member from Magnolia Baptist to Upton Baptist and finally, as a member of Parkway Baptist Church in her final days. She volunteered for the American Red Cross as a disaster liaison to help families displaced by a disaster find temporary housing. After retiring from her second career with the county, she began volunteering at Hardin Memorial Hospital and was elected to the volunteer board for the hospital. Wherever Clara served, she was always looking for ways to fulfill her calling by being a faithful servant of God and a missionary on the home front.

She will be laid to rest in Magnolia, Kentucky. Visitation will be at Dixon-Rogers Funeral Home from 4-7 pm on Friday, May 10th. An Eastern Star Service will be held on Friday evening at 7 pm. Visitation will resume on Saturday, May 11th, from 10 am-2 pm when the funeral service will begin. Burial will be in the Magnolia Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Clara’s memory to the American Red Cross or the American Cancer Society.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Clara Mae Druen, please visit our floral store.