Edith L. Fretz

Edith L. Fretz, of New Britain, passed away peacefully Sunday, October 11, 2015, in Abington Hospice at Warminster. She was 85.

She was the beloved wife of the late Everett Fretz, Jr. for 44 years until his death in 1996.

Born in Hilltown, she was the daughter of the late A. Linford and Bertha (Althouse) Umstead. Edith was a 1947 graduate of Doylestown High School and later attended the Lansdale School of Business.

She was a long-time active member of Salem United Church of Christ, Doylestown.

When her daughters were young, Mrs. Fretz had served as a Girl Scout leader. She had also volunteered at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve.

Edith had enjoyed walking and being outdoors. She and her husband had also been avid bird watchers. She also loved to oil paint, especially landscapes.

Mrs. Fretz is survived by her two daughters, Karen Kofmehl, of New Britain; Nancy Smith and her husband, Ronald, of Sellersville; two grandsons, R. Kyle Smith and his wife, Jennifer, of Harleysville; Blair A. Smith and his wife, Laurel, of High Point, NC; and two great-grandchildren, Austin K. Smith and Whitney L. Smith.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by three brothers, Warren, Edwin, and Robert Umstead, and a sister, Ruth Rose.

Her funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, October 16, in Salem United Church of Christ, 186 East Court Street, Doylestown, PA 18901, where family and friends may call from 10 a.m. until time of service. Interment will follow in St. Luke’s Union Cemetery, Dublin.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Salem United Church of Christ at the address above or to Abington Hospice at Warminster, 225 Newtown Road, Warminster, PA 18974.