Jane M Sheldon

Obituary – Jane M. Sheldon, formerly from McDonough, NY

Jane Sheldon was born in Mt Upton in her parents’ (Dorothy and Robert DeForest) home in the country, April 29, 1930.  She went to school in Mt Upton, NY where they lived until she was sixteen.  Jane remembers that they lived in three different houses while calling Mt Upton home.  When Jane was five years old, her brother Robert Warren DeForest was born there.  She remembered it well.

Later the family moved to South Otselic, NY where her parents ran a general store.  This is where she lived when she graduated from South Otselic School.  While in high school there, she met her future husband and life partner, Donald Harvey Sheldon.  Jane’s family lived over the store at the time.  After she graduated, the local telephone company moved their telephone switchboard into one of the rooms in their home over the store.  Her mother worked the switchboard nights and Jane worked it days, transferring every call.  Two years later, on November 30, 1950, she and Don were married. They had their first son, Donald Jr., in July 1953.  They were living in an apartment in South Otselic over a garage.  When their son, Donny was one year and two months old, they moved to McDonough, NY, five houses down from the general store as Don Sr. was working for Ford Homes there.  In November 1959, their second son, Ronald, was born and their third son, John, was born in November 1960.  In 1964, they were blessed with a daughter, Dotty.

As a “stay-at-home mom”, Jane babysat neighborhood children, was an “Avon Lady”, wrote for the Oxford Review Times and McDonough News, and when her children were older, worked at the Oxford, NY school cafeteria.  One summer, Jane also drove for the Headstart Program and then got a job at the Chenango County Office of Aging, where she worked for many years. She managed a senior center program, and later worked at the county office building as an administrative assistant.  She retired with twenty years working for the county.

Jane liked puzzles, crafts, playing pool and cards, and volunteering.  She was also very active in the McDonough Methodist Church including being a lay reader. After retiring, but before moving from her home in McDonough, she and Don spent time at senior centers in all associated activities.  She also taught crafts at these centers.   Later, she moved from McDonough to a senior living facility, (which her children referred to as “the resort”).  She was always active and especially enjoyed crafts and games at her new home.

Jane loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Family along with family unity were God’s greatest gifts to her and she mentioned it almost daily.  Jane recognized that God had blessed her and her family richly, beyond her greatest dreams.

Obituary adapted from Jane Sheldon’s book, “Jottings by Jane” published in 2020 by FriesenPress. 

A celebration service will be held later and will be announced.  In leu of flowers, donations can be made in Jane’s name to The Chenango Valley Home, 24 Canasawacta St. Norwich, NY 13815.