Obituary of Frances A. Partridge

EAST DURHAM – Frances A. Partridge, age 85, passed away on Monday, January 7, 2013 at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson after a brief illness. Born on July 16, 1927 in East Durham, she was daughter of the late Clarence and Bertha Ingalls Jennings. Frances attended the one-room school in East Durham, and graduated from Cairo Central School as Valedictorian of the Class of 1945. She graduated from Mildred Elley Business School the following year. Frances and her first husband, the late Oliver Cook, operated the family farm, Hedges Homestead, which was in the Jennings family for 135 years at the time Frances and Oliver took over in 1957. Frances was honored in 1962 by the New York State Jersey Cattle Club, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the State Club and the Jersey breed. She also was a member for many years of 4-H, where she was state Jersey champion in 1947, and high scoring individual in the 1948 judging contest at Columbus, Ohio. Frances was a 4-H club leader in Greene County for over 30 years. She served as organist for 30 years in the former Durham Methodist Church, where she also directed the Junior and Senior choirs. She had a great love of music, and thoroughly enjoyed the music of men’s barbershop quartets. Frances served as secretary-treasurer of the Greene County Farm Bureau, editor of the Empire State Jersey Journal, and held several offices in the Capital District and New York State Jersey Cattle Clubs. She was a member of the board of the Greene County Youth Fair, and had served on the Greene County Dairy Promotion Committee. Frances married Oliver Cook in 1947; he died in 1961. She married Alfred C. Partridge in 1963; he died in 1998. Frances is survived by six children, Susan (Howard) Tuttle, Linda (Ronald) Novak, Marcia (Brian) Skelly, Lowell Partridge, Dwight (Jennifer) Partridge and Eric (Janet) Partridge; 13 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren; one sister, Edna Elliott and one brother, Eugene Jennings; several nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husbands, she was predeceased by her grandson, Justin Novak; sister, Margaret Park; and brothers, Edgar and George Jennings. Calling hours will be Thursday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home, 4898 State Route 81, Greenville. The funeral will be Friday at 12 noon at the funeral home, followed by burial in Potter Hollow Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Greene County Youth Fair, 490 Stone Bridge Road Ext., East Durham, NY 12423 will be appreciated. Light a candle at ajcunninghamfh.com.