Frances Oberholtzer

Frances Oberholtzer, 82, of Richmond, died November 8, 2009 at Friends Fellowship Community. Born Marjorie Frances Pickett on New Year’s Eve, 1926, in Indianapolis, Ind., Mrs. Oberholtzer attended grade school and high school in Richmond. She studied English at Earlham College, graduating with a B.A. in 1948. She also met her future husband at the college. Mrs. Oberholtzer married John W. Oberholtzer at her grandfather’s house in Richmond in August, 1948. The couple and their children lived in many cities around the country, including Rockville, Md., Tucson, Ariz., Manhattan Beach, Calif., and Whittier, Calif. Mrs. Oberholtzer returned to Richmond in 1971, purchasing the house where she lived until shortly before her death. John Oberholtzer died in 1980. Mrs. Oberholtzer earned a master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Southern California in 1962. She worked as a librarian for Whittier College, Randolph County public schools, and Richmond public schools, retiring in 1986. She volunteered as a reading tutor at Dennis Junior High from 1986 to 1992. Mrs. Oberholtzer was a direct descendent of Wayne County pioneer Joshua Pickett. Her grandfather, Truman Kenworthy, served as Superintendent of the Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends during the 1920s. Her father, Fred B. Pickett, was Postmaster of Richmond as well as a city judge. Her mother, Catherine Kenworthy, held the post of secretary to the president of Earlham College. As a child, Mrs. Oberholtzer loved visiting a farm owned by her grandfather, Frank Pickett, in Chester, Ind., leading to a lifelong love of animals and the outdoors. Mrs. Oberholtzer raised animals of all kinds, and her pets included cats and dogs, ducks, goats, raccoons, parakeets, and a parrot named Benny. She was particularly fond of collies and chickens. Mrs. Oberholtzer was an avid reader and stamp collector, and liked gardening and yoga. She followed current events and the financial news, and was especially interested in tracking the stock market. Mrs. Oberholtzer was a devoted NCAA basketball fan, rooting the hardest for the University of North Carolina and Indiana University at tournament time. She was known for her keen sense of humor and for never taking herself too seriously. Her children remember Mrs. Oberholtzer reading letters to the editor out loud, using different dramatic voices. She did not enjoy cooking, and referred to ketchup on baked chicken as “an old family recipe.” One of her favorite foods was the chocolate cake from Joy Ann Bakery. “If you really love someone,” she would say, “you get them a cake from the Joy Ann Bakery.” Mrs. Oberholtzer began smoking on D-Day, June 6, 1944, a habit she enjoyed and defended for the rest of her life. Mrs. Oberholzter was a member of the Centerville, Ind., Stamp Club and the First Friends church of Whittier, Calif. She is survived by six children and five grandchildren: Jay Oberholtzer of Whittier, Calif.; James B. Oberholtzer of Portland, Ore., his wife Katherine, and children Claire, Joseph, and Tess; Carol E. Oberholtzer of Carson City, Nev., and her husband James R. Humphrey; Catherine Rigley of Riverside, Calif., her husband Kevin Rigley, and children Savannah and Jackson; Patrick B. Oberholtzer of Arlington, Va., and his wife Laurie McClellan; and William J. Oberholtzer of Northbrook, Ill., his wife Amy, and children Luke and Shawn. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 19, 2009, at West Richmond Friends Meeting with Rev. Max Carter officiating. Arrangements are being handled by Doan & Mills Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at www.doanmillsfuneralhome.com.

Frances Oberholtzer

December 31, 1926 - November 8, 2009