Obituary of Anita Rose Van Ness

WEST COXSACKIE – Anita Rose "Rosie" Van Ness, 78, passed away peacefully on Thursday December 31, 2015. She was born in Greenville on November 12, 1937 to the late Arthur and Lillian Smith Beatty. She was raised in Greenville and in 1955 she married the late Arthur G. Anspacher, Jr. and they moved to Long Island. They then came back upstate to Catskill before moving to Athens. In 1965, Anita was widowed and subsequently moved back to Catskill. She married the late Frank Van Ness in 1972 and together they lived in Athens where Anita assisted in Frank's upholstery shop, Van Ness Upholstery. They then moved to Coxsackie before settling in West Coxsackie. Anita enjoyed knitting and crocheting; she was an avid gardener, tending flowers both inside and outside the home, as well as growing vegetables; and she excelled at solving puzzles of many types. She had been active in the Federated Church of Athens during the 1970s, teaching Sunday School classes, attending young children in the nursery and singing in the church choir. Anita loved music - she was a talented mezzo-soprano singer, she played organ at home, and she enjoyed listening to many different genres of music throughout her lifetime. She was a member of the Rebekah's, the women's branch of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. She also had been a Brownie leader and a Cub Scout leader while her children were younger. In addition to her parents and husbands, Anita was predeceased by her siblings, Arthur Beatty, Warren Beatty, Rowena Bailey, Marguerite Simpkins, and Norma Baker. Anita is survived by her children, Anita Smith, David Anspacher, Mark Anspacher, Donna Anspacher, and Clinton Van Ness; 12 grandchildren; one great- grandchild; her brother, Kelton Beatty; and many nieces, nephews, and other family members. Per her wishes, Anita has been cremated without a formal funeral; and a memorial service will be held to celebrate her life at a later date. The family would like to mention a special thanks to Community Hospice of Columbia-Greene and The Eddy Home Visiting Nurses Association for all their help and care. In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to either: The Albany Medical Center Foundation, PO Box 8928, Albany NY 12208 (Gifts may be designated for The Center for Cell Biology and Cancer Research); or: The Nature Conservancy, The Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, PO Box 458, Pawhuska OK 74056 (Gifts may be made in memory of Anita VanNess, who was a member of the Nature Conservancy and supported the reintroduction of the American Bison onto the preserve). Condolences can be posted at www.ajcunninghamfh.com.