Subscribe to updates for Jane Macdonald

Jane Paula Macdonald Clauss, 92, of Lake Ariel, Pa., passed away April 5, 2023, at her home in Lake Ariel surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Born in Honesdale, Pa., at Wayne Memorial Hospital on March 15, 1931, in what is known as the Dimmick Building. She was the third daughter of Donald William Macdonald and Dorothea “Dolly” Gumble Macdonald and graduated from Hawley High School, class of 1949 (a forty-niner). She also graduated in the 1952 class of Scranton State Hospital School of Nursing and served as the class president.
Jane was crowned “Miss Hawley” in the 1949 State Laurel Queen Festival in Wellsboro, Pa.

She was married for 55 years to the love of her life, Peter Oliver Clauss, of Lake Ariel, on Nov. 8, 1952, at St. Thomas More Church with a wedding reception following at the Lake Ariel Hotel. The following year their first child was born, and nine more children would quickly follow in the next 15 years. Together they raised 10 children.

In 1955, they cleared the land on Gravity Road in Lake Ariel and used the wood to build their dream home, a simple cape cod, lovingly known as Buttermilk Hill, where she loved to garden as she had a deep respect for nature and found peace spending time outdoors. She was the bookkeeper for her husband’s construction company, C & D Builders, where she partnered with him on his job site inspections.
She has been a member of St. Thomas More Parish Church for 71 years.

For service to the community, Jane was awarded “An Outstanding Service to the Community Library of Lake and Salem Twp. in 2011.” She was a member of the Scranton State General Hospital School for Nursing Alumnae Association. She also volunteered for the Red Cross and participated in the Harvard Medical School Nurses Health Study since its founding in 1976. She has been a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution “DAR” since 2008. The DAR is a proven lineage society to a patriot of the American Revolution, five of her direct ancestors helped contribute to securing the independence of the United States of America. She was also a member of the Wallenpaupack and Lake Historical Society.

Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were her proverbial “crown of ‘glory” and she was honored to be surrounded by them.

Surviving are nine children: five daughters and four sons, Mary Jane Corcoran and husband, Timothy, Clermont, Fla.; Peter and wife, Margot, Paupack; Paula Isaacs and husband, Charlie, Annapolis, Md.; Dr. Patrick and wife, Grace, Lake Ariel; Regina Clauss, Lake Ariel; Peggy Quayle and husband, Dale, Denver, Colo.; Robert Clauss, Lake Ariel; Carol Gardner and husband, Steve, Denver, Colo.; Timothy and wife, Rosanne, Lake Ariel; and Heidi Clauss, Lake Ariel; 30 grandchildren, Erin Yunker and husband, Dave, Clermont, Fla.; Timothy Corcoran, Anchorage, Kentucky; Patrick Corcoran, Anaheim, Calif.; Megan Patten and husband, Josh, Davenport, Fla.; Corrie Tate and husband, Tyler, Hunt Valley, Md.; Will Clauss and wife, Abby, Tafton; Sarah Clauss, White Mills, Pa.; Dorothy Halbe and husband, Matthew, Silver Spring, Md.; Caroline Hoy and husband, Kyle, Austin, Texas; Harrison Isaacs, Knoxville, Tenn.; Grace Heater and husband, Mike, Washington, D.C.; Veronica Nathaniel and husband, Sheldon, Lake Ariel; Cassidy Clauss, New York City; Jenevieve Clauss, Juneau, Alaska; Allie Clauss, Rehobeth, Del.; Joseph Clauss, Corona, Calif.; David Clauss, Lake Ariel; Andrew Clauss, Lake Ariel; Mary Alice Korus and husband, Tucker, Denver, Colo.; Peter Quayle, Lake Ariel; Thomas Quayle, Austin, Texas; Dr. Emily Clauss, Middlesex, New Jersey; Kevin Clauss, Austin, Texas; Jack Gardner and wife, Alexandra, Denver, Colo.; Patrick Gardner, Arizona; David Gardner, Austin, Texas; John Gardner, Lake Ariel; Timothy Gardner, Erie, Pa.; Maggie Clauss and fiancé, Adam Weinreich, Damascus, Pa.; Ellen Clauss and husband, Jacob Kuntz, Coalville, Utah; 23 great-grandchildren, Rebecca, Ben and Will Yunker, Nealon, Mari and Peter Patten, John Carter, Genevieve, Annabelle and Seraphina Tate, Cade and Levi Pittenger, August, Liesel, Levi and Clementine Halbe, Keller Hoy, Jane Heater, Oliver Nathaniel, Camden David Clauss, Quincy and Adelaide “Birdie” Korus and Kari Kuntz.

Jane was preceded in death by her husband, Peter Oliver Clauss; son, David Donald Clauss; and two sisters, Christine Macdonald Coutts and Annaburn Macdonald Von Hake.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, April 11th at 10 a.m. in St. Mary’s Church, St. Mary’s Church Road, Ledgedale.

Friends may call Monday, April 10th from 4 to 7 p.m. at the St. Thomas More Parish Center at St. Thomas More Church, Gravity Road, Lake Ariel. Interment, St. Mary’s Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Lake Ariel Fire Company, St. Thomas More Church, St. Jude Children’s Hospital or in memory of her husband’s death, Leukemia Lymphoma Society.