Obituary of Harry Ellis Vanzant

A Mass of Christian Burial for Harry Ellis Vanzant of Elsberry, MO will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, February 17, 2023 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elsberry. Fr. Charles Tichacek, church pastor, will officiate with burial in New Hope Cemetery near Elsberry. Serving as pallbearers will be Corbin Marchack. Bart Mersch, Paul Reed, Niles Leverington, Jim Mayes, Jake Mersch; and honorary pallbearers will be Dennis Watkins, Scott Willis, Clayton Marchack, Dominic Marchack and Jesse Gonzales. Mr. Vanzant, 84, passed away Friday evening, February 10, 2023, at his home near Elsberry. Born December 5, 1938 in Shelbyville, MO, he was the son of William Shelby and Lovie Roshelle Stone Vanzant. He was a 1957 graduate of Shelbyville High School. He served his country in the U.S. Army until he was honorably discharged on October 23, 1964. Harry was united in marriage on June 24, 1961 in Shelbina, MO to Carolyn Sue Johnson. This union was blessed with four children: Tony, Anika, Crystal and Patricia. He worked for many years as a supervisor for Missouri Department of Transportation, retiring in 1998. He had a horseshoeing business on the weekends for many years, as well as managed Fox Run Farm for 25+ years. After he retired from MO-DOT, he drove for Petrolane for about four years. Harry was an avid fisherman and bird hunter. He and Carolyn enjoyed bowling with the “He, She, Him & Her” bowling team in O’Fallon, MO. Harry was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elsberry. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Lovie Vanzant; one sister, Olive Dean Peters; two brothers: Tom Will Vanzant and Jim Dale Vanzant; one granddaughter, Christy Olson; and his beloved wife of 53 years, Carolyn Vanzant, who died on July 13, 2014. Survivors include their children: Tony Vanzant and his wife, Lori, of Troy, MO; Anika Olson of Denver, CO, Crystal Mersch and her husband, Bart, of Troy, and Patricia Marchack and her husband, Corbin, of Columbia, MO; nine grandchildren: Kayla, Kelsey, Courtney, Mackenzie, Jake, Keely, Clayton, Dominic and Lydia; and one great-grandson, Gavin Howell. He also leaves one brother, Weldon Vanzant and his wife, Phyllis, of Mt. Sterling, IL; one sister-in-law, Betty Bross of Palmyra, MO; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Thursday, February 16, 2023 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church; visitation will continue Friday from 10:00 a.m. until time of the Mass at 11:00 a.m. Memorials may be made to New Hope Cemetery in care of Carter-Ricks Funeral Home, 107 S. 5th Street; Elsberry, MO 63343.