Obituary of Florence E. Minch

Florence E. Minch, 99, of Old Trail Road, Tribes Hill, NY, died peacefully on Friday, September 22, 2023, at the River Ridge Living Center in Amsterdam, NY.

 

Born on October 25, 1923, in Glen, she was a daughter of the late Ernest and Mabel (Wood) Reynolds. She was a graduate of Fultonville High School, Class of 1942. During WWII, Florence was employed by General Electric. She would later go on to work for various stores such as Philbrook’s Market in Fultonville. She retired in 1982 from the Switch Grocery Store in Fonda. She was a tireless worker, ensuring that her children always had what they needed and often what they wanted.

 

Florence was first married to Leonard R. Bailey of Dolgeville, NY, with whom she had four children. On December 10, 1977, Florence married Kenneth W. Minch. It was a loving union of almost 33 years until his passing on May 18, 2010. She is pre-deceased by two daughters, Shirley M. Auspelmyer and Charlotte A. Arnold (both in 2022), and by her brothers Virgil, Edward, Leon, and Robert Reynolds as well as her sisters Mildred, Leona, Beatrice, Alice, and Edith.

 

Florence is survived by her son, Gary Bailey; daughter, Marie Bailey-Brown (Greg); brother, Howard Reynolds (Beverly); sister, Orvetta Pedrick; son-in-law, Alfred Auspelmyer; stepsons, Kenneth Minch, Jr., Philip Minch (Suzette), Ted Minch (Judy) and Bryan J. Minch (Sherri); stepdaughters, Cynthia Close (Ben), Patricia Prime (Wade) and Mimi Kosinski; as well as many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

 

Florence enjoyed a lot of activities whether it was stuffing quarters into a slot machine, scratching off winning tickets, or doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles. She was picking berries up until her late 90s, generously sharing her haul among family members and friends. She loved watching birds feeding outside her kitchen window, in particular Baltimore Orioles. She spent many winters in Florida and loved to play Shuffleboard. Most of all, Florence was a loving mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, and friend. She will be deeply missed.

 

In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the Fort Hunter Free Library at https://www.forthunterfreelibrary.com/giving. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Betz, Rossi, Bellinger & Stewart Funeral Home, 171 Guy Park Ave, Amsterdam, NY.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Florence Minch, please visit Tribute Store