Obituary of Frances J. Olmstead

Mrs. Frances J. Olmstead ascended to eternal peace on March 21, 2021 joining her beloved husband, Howard J. Olmstead Sr. (March 13, 2020). Frances was born at her family home in Johnstown on July 4, 1932 to Joseph and Frances (Mackali) Marchetti. Frances and Howard were united in marriage on August 23, 1952 and remained life-long residents of Johnstown, New York.

Frances worked as a Glove Maker at the Gates Mills Glove Shop in Johnstown, New York. As a woman of faith, Frances was a member of the Immaculate Conception Church in Johnstown, where she attended Mass on Sundays and participated in the yearly Italian Festival. Frances loved to travel, play golf, and bowl. She and Howard were members at several local clubs and bowling alleys and enjoyed playing with friends. Frances loved music and dancing, and had a rhythm of her own. She attended Friday Band Concerts and was a member of the Johnstown Moose Lodge where she and Howard were known to dance the night away. As life slowed down, Frances and Howard enjoyed long car rides, making stops at the casino, and often playing a hand at the local Senior Center. Frances loved to watch old movies and shop. When she could not hit the mall, she and QVC established a great relationship!

Frances’s greatest joy of life was her family. A mother of two, grandmother of four, and great-grandmother of three, Frances devoted her love and support to each member of her family with her whole heart. As the matriarch, she hosted great meals, treated the family to great trips and experiences, all in an effort to get us together and make a memory. Born a “firecracker” on Independence Day, she celebrated her birthday every year with a Fourth of July gathering wearing her red, white, and blue. She set a great example that hard work, love, and dedication makes life worth living and cheered her family on individually to live their best lives. She really did “love us more.”

Aside from her parents, and her husband, Frances is predeceased by her sisters and brothers-in-law, Mary (Tony) Ermie and Ernestine (Hank) D’Alessandris; her sister-in-law, Jane (Charles) Klump; and brother-in-law, Allen Olmstead.

Frances is survived by her children, Howard (Theresa) Olmstead Jr. of Johnstown, and Mary Jane (Bob) Trzaskos of Johnstown, her grandchildren, Deena (Tom) Sisco, Krista (Charlie) Peterson, Howard (Niki) Olmstead, and Joseph Olmstead, her great-grandchildren, Jolee Peterson, Jude Peterson, and Giada Olmstead, her brother, Ralph Marchetti of Las Vegas, Nevada, and her close friend from the Sarah Jane Sanford Home, Felicia Persico, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In keeping with Frances’s wishes, there will be no calling hours. A graveside service will be held at Maple Avenue Cemetery in Fultonville, New York on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at 11 o’clock in the morning, with Reverend Tom Flander presiding, where she will be laid to rest with her beloved husband. Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to Mountain Valley Hospice, 108 Steele Avenue, Gloversville, New York, 12078 or to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105. Please visit Frances's guestbook online at www.brbsfuneral.com