Clara Rose Fatura

On December 3rd, 2022, our beloved mother and grandmother, Clara Rose, passed peacefully from this life. Born on January 4th, 1923, in East Lansing, Michigan and lived most of her life in the Lansing area. She was a 1942 graduate of St. Mary’s Cathedral High School. Clara married Frank Fatura from Bannister, Michigan at St. Mary’s Cathedral on July 18th, 1942.

Clara was a homemaker and caregiver for her children, grandchildren, parents and was a loving and supportive spouse to her husband, Frank. She worked at J.W. Knapp Company in downtown Lansing, enjoying her work and making many friends there. Clara was of Czech ancestry and enjoyed making traditional Czech pastries, particularly at Christmas and Easter. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren spent many hours in the kitchen with her, and they will always cherish those memories. In recent years, making her ‘Monster’ cookies has become a family favorite. She loved music and dancing, especially polkas and waltzes. She had a heart of gold and was a strong, patient, and caring woman, giving freely to others, and always persevering in hard times. She was fun-loving and good-humored, welcoming everyone, respecting others, and loving us all. In 1978, Frank and Clara retired and moved to the Houghton Lake area. While there, she enjoyed spending time with family, friends, and neighbors and worked for a while driving a minibus transporting seniors in the Houghton Lake area. On July 18th, 1993, she and Frank celebrated 51 years of marriage at Houghton Lake with family.

We will have many fond memories of good times with Clara at Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake, Elk Rapids, and in Lansing, Bath, Bannister, and Perry, Michigan. Clara spent the last few years of her life living in Wake Forest, North Carolina with family where she enjoyed spending time in nature in the sunshine, watching birds and wildlife with her grandchildren.

Clara was predeceased by her husband, Frank; her parents, Clara and Martin; siblings Mary, John, Helen, Frank, and Anna; and her daughter, Ann, son, Jerry, and son-in-law, Dennis. She is survived by her daughters, Sharon and Diane (Brian), sister-in-law, Marilyn, and Jerry V.; grandchildren, Terry (Debbie), Tammy (Dale), Ted (Debi), Carl, Lindsey (Raz), Chris (Crystal), Kyle and Lahna; great-grandchildren, Terry III, Tessa, Tait, Emalynn, and Sean; great-great grandchildren, Dakota and Bodhi; as well as many nieces and nephews and their families from the Lansing and Bannister area. Clara was a member of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Prudenville, Church of the Resurrection in Lansing, St. Mary’s Cathedral in Lansing, and St. Therese Church throughout her lifetime.

Services will be held at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 219 Seymour Ave., Lansing, Michigan 48933 on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023, with visitation at 9:00 a.m., funeral mass at 10:00 a.m., and inurnment at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, 2520 West Willow Street, Lansing, Michigan 48933.

The family wishes to acknowledge the staff of the SECU Jim and Betsy Bryan Hospice Home of UNC Health Care, Pittsboro, North Carolina, for their gentle and loving care of Clara and support to our family during the last months.

Memorial contributions can be made to St. Vincent Catholic Charities, 2800 West Willow Street, Lansing, Michigan 48917, or a charity of choice.