Mary Frances Ulrich

MARY FRANCES ULRICH   Our beautiful, loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother, MARY FRANCES ULRICH, left us in the wee morning hours of June 26, 3 weeks after celebrating her 98th birthday. Guided by strong faith and deep principles of fairness and doing good by serving others, “Fran” was the patient, intelligent rock of our family. Born May 31, 1923, Fran grew up during the Great Depression in rural Tennessee. By the age of 19, she had lost both parents. Despite these hurdles, she was the valedictorian of her graduating classes in high school and college, and at 20, was teaching in the high school from which she graduated. During WW2, she lived in Oak Ridge, TN, worked on the Manhattan Project, and romanced her fiancé through letters while he was fighting in Europe. She and Richard were married in 1946 and started their family in TN before moving to Rochester in 1955. A voracious reader, and lover of gardening, birds, music, antiques, crossword puzzles and Jeopardy, Fran kept busy as a mother, substitute teacher, volunteering with community outreach programs, and was a long-time, active member of Greece Baptist Church. She and Dick were together until his death in 2013. Surrounded by family, Fran was strong, funny, wise and at peace to the very end. Though we mourn her passing from this place, we rejoice immersed in her living spirit and in knowing she now walks with God, has reunited with the love of her life, and with cherished ones too soon gone. She is survived by her daughter Barbara Stephenson (with husband, Peter), sons Richard, and Robert (with wife, Jan), grandchildren Christine Stephenson, Melanie Stephenson and John Stephenson (with wife, Christina), and great grandchildren Nora, Ricky, Dakota and Charlotte. Donations may be made to Cameron Community Ministries at cameronminitries.org, or the Greece Baptist Church Memorial Fund, 1230 Long Pond Rd. Rochester, NY 14626..  For more information and to sign her online guestbook visit www.meesonfamily.com