Clara’s Obituary Clara Herron Schmaltz passed away peacefully on May 6, 2019. She was born October 2, 1920 in Hughestown, PA. The oldest child of Mildred Valerious Herron and Ralph F. Herron, she is preceded in death by her devoted husband of sixty years, Harry G. Schmaltz, and by her brother, Carl J. Herron, of Mesa, AZ.
She was the daughter of a coal miner and spent her formative years surviving the Great Depression with her family. After graduating from high school, Clara worked as a secretary for the Number Nine Colliery, Pagnotti Coal Co. in Hughestown. When World War II began she and her friends and family planted victory gardens, made sacrifices for the war effort and prayed for the safe return of their sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers.
In January 1945 she married her husband Harry upon his return from Europe serving as a P51 fighter pilot in World War II. Together they raised their four children and ran their family business, Schmaltz Construction Co., in West Pittston, spending summers at Lake Winola. When her youngest child entered high school Clara pursued her dream of earning a college degree, something that had been out of reach for a girl in the 1930s.
She graduated from Misericordia University with honors in Elementary Education. She taught Special Education in the Luzerne County Intermediate Unit. Clara had many close friends and loved spending time with them at Bridge Club and the Number Nine Club made up of lifelong girlfriends from Hughestown.
Always warm and cordial hosts, she and Harry took great pride in entertaining friends and family at their summer home at Lake Winola. Clara delighted in the lively conversations and laughter when friends and family gathered. She was an expert quilter whose beautifully designed quilts won many awards at Pennsylvania quilt shows.
She loved knitting and sewing and played the piano beautifully. Over the years she created treasured photo albums documenting family trips, activities, and the joyful addition of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as each came along. Clara loved music, being around children and working with her hands.
After retirement she and Harry enjoyed traveling with good friends to many interesting places, including Europe, England, Russia and Japan. They returned often to Clara’s favorite destination, Germany at Christmas time, to visit the Christkindlmarkt. After Harry’s death, a tour of the Holy Land with the Lake Winola Methodist Church group was a highlight of her life.
Clara is survived by her four children, Janet Ross (Dean), Carol Frese (Paul), Ellen Young, and Dr. Harry W. Schmaltz (Mary Jo), eleven grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, three nieces and two nephews. Home, faith, and family were the most important things in life to her. Clara was a loyal, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend.
Her confident, upbeat encouragement and her positive outlook on life touched all who knew her. Clara exemplified her World War II generation’s traits. Like her generation, she was even-keeled, practical, honest, hard-working and resilient.
She had a warm, calming and unflappable strength of character. Her unfailing graciousness and poise, her enduring love of family, and her unwavering optimism will serve as a lifelong example to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her memory will be cherished in thankfulness and joy.
A memorial service will be held Friday May 10th at eleven o’clock at Church of the Epiphany, 25 Church Hill, Glenburn Township 18414 Donations can be made to the Ronald McDonald House, rmhscranton.org or to Meals on Wheels, mealsonwheelsamerica.org. Arrangements are entrusted to the Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit PA.
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