Clara Sheldon Vant, 88, of Fulton, passed away Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at St. Luke Residential Health Services in Oswego. She was born on February 21, 1922 to Macel and Cassie Gilbert Sheldon and was a life resident of the Fulton-Volney area with the exception of a recent 10 year period in Penn Yan. She had attended Weed Rural School, Fulton High School class of 1941 and was a 1943 graduate of Canton College with a degree in Home Economics. Clara married Joseph J. Vant on August 1, 1945 and together ran a successful dairy farm for over 30 years. She was the chief fire dispatcher for the Volney Volunteer Fire Department for over 25 years, a member of the Fire Department Auxiliary and was sworn in as a Volney Fireman. She was a communicant of The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Fulton. Clara was a 4H Leader, member of the Volney Senior Citizens and Fulton Women's Club. She took pride in having worked the election polls for District 3 in Volney for over 40 years and at one time was a Republican Committee Person. Clara was predeceased by her husband of 44 years, Joseph J. Vant, who died in 1990, by her brother, Kenneth Sheldon and granddaughter, Valerie Spanneut Steele. Surviving are three daughters, Joanne (Paul) Horrell of Hannibal, Bernice (Gene) Spanneut and Charlotte (Robert) Gillespie all of Penn Yan; five sons, William Vant of Rouses Point, James Vant and Joseph (Michelle) Vant Jr., all of Fulton, Vincent (Linda) Vant of Oswego and Steven (Janet) Vant of West Valley; 25 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews. Clara will be remembered by those who knew her for the Four F's: Family, Friends, Food and Faith. Services will be held 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Holy Trinity Church, corner of Rochester and South Third Streets, Fulton with burial at St. Mary's Cemetery in Fulton. Calling hours are 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Foster Funeral Home, 910 Fay Street, Fulton. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Volney Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, P.O. Box 190, Fulton, 13069 or to Alzheimer's Association , 441 W. Kirkpatrick Street, Syracuse 13204.

Published in Syracuse Post Standard on November 4, 2010