Thelma S. Fry passed away on Sunday October 18, 2015 at Anna’s House at Hillside Country Living in Bryan. She was born April 9, 1934 to Henry and Nora (Short) Stamm in Archbold, OH. She was the salutatorian of the 1952 West Unity High School graduating class.
After graduation, Thelma worked at the West Unity Bank as a teller and a bookkeeper for the West Unity Farm Bureau. On May 25, 1957, she married Quentin Fry at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Montpelier. Together they raised eight children, farmed, and ran several businesses including: Fry’s Lime Service; Fry’s Steel Fabrication Shop; Burkhart and Fry Manufacturing; and Fry Brother’s Baling.
Thelma was an active member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Montpelier. She served as the President of the Altar Society, sang in the choir, helped with the youth group and marriage encounter team, and served as a Eucharistic Minister and lector. For ten years, she and Quentin spent winters in Avon Park, Florida. She loved traveling, family gatherings, and watching her children and grandchildren in school events as well as square dancing and playing cards.
Thelma will be greatly missed by her friends and family. She was preceded in death by her husband and parents.
She is survived by her four daughters: Shirley (John Reichle) Fry, of Montpelier; Sharon (Ed) Ward of Cordova, Tennessee; Elaine (Jim) Layman of Perrysburg, Ohio; and Esther (Joe) Madrigal of Jacksonville, Florida. Four sons: Tom (Penny) Fry, Tim (Sherry) Fry, John (Kim) Fry and Jerry (Sandy) Fry all of Montpelier. She has twenty-two grandchildren and seventeen great grandchildren.
Funeral visitation will be held at Thompson-Geesey Funeral Home, 335 Empire St. in Montpelier on Thursday, October 22nd from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. A funeral mass will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Montpelier, on Friday at 10:00 a.m. with Father Fred Duschl to officiate. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Blakeslee.
Preferred memorials are to Gentiva Hospice or Anna’s House at Hillside Country Living. Online condolences may be left at thethompsonfuneralhome.com.