Carla Claasen
Sept. 17, 1962 – Jan. 31, 2026
Carla Rae Claasen, 63, passed away peacefully on Jan 31, 2026, at home with her husband by her side.
She was born Sept. 17, 1962, in Portland to Edna Carlson. She and her mother moved to LaGrande and then Ketchikan, Alaska, where Edna met Lee Cowan. After Lee and Edna married, the family moved farther north and began crab fishing.
Carla spent much of her youth on a 90-foot crab boat named “The Stevie.”
Carla went to high school in Ketchikan, graduating in 1980. She started working in retail and moved up to store director and promotions coordinator for several years.
Carla and Randy Claasen met at a local Chamber of Commerce Banquet in 1995 and were married in 1998 in Post Falls Idaho. They made their home in Ketchikan until 2002 when they moved to Brownsville, to Randy’s family home.
Carla started volunteering at the Sweet Home Chamber as a means to become familiar with the area. She was proud to be part of the establishment of the first Business after Hours events.
Randy and Carla became involved with, and she volunteered much of her time at the local Elks Lodge and Auxiliary. She was very was also very involved in supporting her husband at the Elks.as he became an officer.
She joined the Elkettes Auxiliary to help raise funds and plan events. Her mother moved closer and Carla spent much of her time caring for her and also Randy’s mother, Sue, until their passings.
Carla also volunteered with the Oregon Jamboree, and she and Randy were camp hosts at the Willamette Music Festival for five years.
After moving to Oregon, Carla worked in retail including grocery stores and in a bridal shop.
She was a hard worker and always wanted to learn everything about the job she had at the time.
She worked for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines prior to and during the COVID era. She absolutely loved helping people plan their dream vacation.
She moved on to sales for The New Era newspaper, helping to provide more service to the Lebanon area.
Her most recent position was with Hyundai of Albany, where she worked in customer service. She unfortunately couldn’t keep working due to her illness. The family extends much gratitude to the dealership staff who helped her during the cancer battle.
Carla leaves behind her husband of 26 years, Randy; stepdaughter Autumn and grandchildren Ryan and Nathan; stepson Paul and his wife Brytany, and grandchildren Madisynn, Brooklyn, Khiyah and Jaxen; and uncle William Carlson.
She was preceded in death by her father, Lee Cowan; mother Edna Cowan; and her granddaughter, Alica.
Carla was known as the “Director of Fun.” This included having tea parties with her grandchildren, planning great events and following her motto: “Decide each morning to have a good day. Life is fun if you make it that way.”
A celebration of her life will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on June 6 at the Sweet Home Elks Lodge. All stories and remembrances are appreciated. Any contributions will go towards Elks youth activities.