Obituary of Freda K. Umiker

May she rest in peace and rise in glory Freda Klossner Umiker Born February 22, 1913 - Died January 15, 2014 Freda Umiker died peacefully on Wednesday, (January 15) after a full life and amidst the love of a large extended family. Freda was the youngest of the six children of John Klossner and Magdalena Stucki Klossner. She was born in Springville, New York, ten months after the family emigrated from Switzerland. They had landed in New York on the day that the Titanic sank. Freda was the last surviving member of that family and had accepted promotion to the role of matriarch by many nieces, nephews, their children and grandchildren. On November 2, 1930, Freda was married to Julius Umiker who celebrated 61 years of marriage and the births of five children. They raised their family in Geneva, in the same house where she lived at the time of her death. She took great pride in the simplest things: gardening, keeping her house in pristine condition, attending her church, and expressing joy and love with each greeting of family and friends. She looked forward to her family reunion which has routinely drawn well over 100 members of her family each year since 1967. Freda and Julius owned a milk delivery business that they operated together in Phelps and Clifton Springs for 30 years. Her last truck is parked as the centerpiece of a garden museum at her daughter's house in Newark, NY. Freda was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Geneva for 78 years and served as secretary for the Golden Circle. Freda is survived by two daughters; Millie Albertson of Penn Yan, and Sandy (Rich) Wirth of Newark; and two sons: Robert Umiker (m. Nancy Cotten) of Fayetteville, AR, and Richard Umiker (m. Virginia Folsom) of Southborough, Mass., son-in-law James Tennant of Seneca Castle, 16 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great-grandchildren; as well as many special nieces, nephews and friends. She was predeceased by her husband, Julius; daughter, Betty Tennant and son-in-law, Jack Albertson. A memorial service will be held at the Presbyterian Church in Geneva at 10 a.m. on Sat. (Feb. 22), followed by a celebration of her life at the V.F.W. in Waterloo.