Frances Stoddard Dean

Frances Olive Stoddard Dean, 102, of Glens Falls, NY, went into the arms of the Lord on Dec. 10, 2013 while visiting in Venice, FL with her daughter and son in law, Judy and Dick Edmunds after suffering a stroke the previous week. Frances was born on Sugar Hill in Crown Pt., NY on April 23, 1911. She was the daughter of Maybelle Bush and Lester Norris Stoddard, grand-daughter of Olive Brown and George W. Bush of Port Henry, NY. She was predeceased by her husband J. Wyman Dean ( 1971), her step-daughter, Barbara Dean Stone and her husband Richard Stone, sons Donald F. Dean and Mack A. Dean, her brother, Norris Stoddard and sister Edith Louise ( age 8 ). Surviving are her sons, Jerrold Wyman Dean ( Janet ), David Norris Dean ( Glenda) and daughters, Judith Ann Edmunds (Richard ) and Virginia Frances Coon (Bruce ) and Jan Dean (widow of Donald ). Also, grandchildren Pamela Stone Carnicelli, Carol Stone Godette, Janet Stone Lounsbury, John Dean, Steven Dean, Jackie Dean Freeze, Peter Dean, Joe Dean, Glenn Dean, Betsy Dean Madan, Ellen Dean Gricoski, Sara Dean, Jeffrey Coon, Karen Coon Light and 22 great grandchildren and several nephews. Fran's father died when she was 8 months old in a logging accident. For the next few years her mother and grandmother ran a boarding house in Port Henry for men working in the iron ore mines. Looking for work that could better support her family, Frances and her mother moved to Glens Falls, NY in 1919. They lived in an apartment over a shoe store on Glen St. in downtown so her mother could work in a glove factory, Frances often roller skated 4 blocks to the then Broad St. firehouse to feed hay to the horses that pulled the water wagon. In the mid 1920's, her mother was manager of the dining room at the Halfway House restaurant on Rt. 9 where Frances was the hat/coat check girl at age 16 (she had some interesting stories about this as it was during prohibition). They moved to upper Glen St. across from the old Glens Falls High School where she graduated in 1929. In the meantime, she had joined the First Baptist Church at age 14 and in 1930 met Wyman Dean there. Four years earlier he had lost his wife after she gave birth to daughter, Barbara. Frances and Wyman raised their 6 children mostly in Glens Falls but lived 4 years during WW11 in rural Argyle, NY where their large garden and some chickens helped feed everyone in a time of rationing. Along with raising her large family, Frances volunteered with the American Cancer Society and started the first Brownie troop at Jackson Heights Elementary School. But she considered her church her second family and lovingly served as a deacon, president of the Berea Class, Girl Scout leader, Sunday school teacher, member of the Care Team and the Memorial Fund Committee and was one of the founders of the church's thrift store where she worked for many years. With the pastor she took communion to those who were homebound and hospitalized. She never missed a Sunday service sitting with Jerry and Janet in the family pew and going for breakfast after. Frances had a smile and a hug for everyone. She loved organ music and her mother had played a pump organ at a church in Crown Pt. A recent interim pastor commented, ""She had such a simple, beautiful faith in the Lord that led to a love for His church that is unsurpassed. I was blessed by her warm smile and loyal spirit."" Frances also attended the yearly church retreat at Pathfinder Lodge in Cooperstown, NY with her church friend Ethel Lavery. When Frances was 60, Wyman passed away so she and Ethel became traveling companions. They drove around the northeast especially to Maine and Rhode Is. where David and Glenda lived.They flew to Atlanta to visit Laura and Happy Lee (former pastor at First Baptist) and at her 80th birthday party, her children surprised her with a trip to Hawaii. At age 85, she and daughter Judy flew to Ireland for a 2 week bus tour. She loved her Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at the Godette's Saratoga house with all of Barbara's family and in Plattsburgh with Don and Jan's family. When she gave up driving at age 92, she looked forward to her trips around the area with Ginny and Bruce especially their yearly August trip to the Washington County Fair Grounds (which they did even in her 102nd year). In her late 90's and 100th year, she rode to Florida with Judy and Dick to spend the winter months. In the past 5 years she resided at The Cedars Senior Living apartments with part time help from two wonderful ladies, Anita and Patty. They loved and cared for her as if she was their own mother. Frances loved her children dearly and her favorite summertime event was the annual Dean family reunion often held at Rodgers Park on Lake George. More recently, they met at Don and Jan's Cumberland Head home on Lake Champlain. She was in her glory being the matriarch of the family with 30+ surrounding her. Quotes taken from a talk she gave at a Sunday service reads,""My heart overflows with love for my family and I'm so proud of them as they have also continued the life they learned as little ones. The advice I have for young parents is love, love, love, patience and discipline and instill the love of God but you must also practice what you preach. So I say God was very good to us for he gave us strength, love and courage."" A service of remembrance will be held at Venice Presbyterian Church, 825 The Rialto, Venice, FL on Friday, Jan. 3, 2014 at 11:00 followed by a reception. Her memorial service at First Baptist Church, 100 Maple St. in Glens Falls will be sometime in mid May, 2014. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Venice Presbyterian Church organ fund for the new chapel or to the First Baptist Church Memorial Fund in her name.