The Fants

John and June Fant - 1944 to 1954

John Fant was born on July 2, 1910 in Lovelock, NV. He grew up on the Riverside Ranch which was owned by his parents, John and Hilma, and Nevada Senator George Nixon. He graduated from Lovelock High School and went on to earn a degree in Electrical Engineering and a Teaching certificate from the University of Nevada in Reno.

John Fant was a school teacher in Lovelock and Wells, NV before coming to Reno to teach. He taught junior high here in Reno. Eventually he held the position of Deputy State Superintendent of Public Instruction for Washoe County and later as it's Business Administrator and Finance Director. He was an avid tennis player and also enjoyed gardening, square dancing, and cribbage. Like William Machabee, he was also a Mason. After his retirement, he lived in Susanville, CA, where he volunteered at the Susanville Library until he was almost 90.

As far as I have been able to discern, while he owned our home, Mr. Fant was a school teacher. He and Mrs. Fant were both active in the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Many AAUW meetings were held here at our house. It wasn't until later, after he had moved from our home, that Mr. Fant held more administrative positions in the School district.

Mr. Fant worked for the school district at a time not unlike today. The Reno/Sparks area was growing and so was the school district. Just like today, there wasn't enough money to cover the expansion required to accommodate the growth. Many of the articles I've read about him have him working to increase the budget for education or to add new schools, classrooms and teachers.

June Fant was an Education Assistant at the University of Nevada, Reno. She also held the position of Instructor of Business Administration,

They were married on June, 1943. They honeymooned at Lake Tahoe and were to spend that summer at Mrs. Fant’s sister’s house in Cupertino, Calif. Unfortunately, that trip was cut short when John's father became ill. They sold their home to John and Ruth Porter on or around August 11, 1954.

Mrs. Fant died in 1971. Mr Fant died on May 11, 2004. They had two daughters, Jane and Lynne.