Frances B. Hostetter

1927 - 2019

Frances B. Hostetter

Frances B. Hostetter, a resident of Sacred Heart Home in Oregon, Ohio for the past eight years, was promoted to heaven on February 10th, 2019, to see her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face. Fran passed away peacefully, with her devoted husband of 65 years, Ed, and family members at her side.

Frances was born on November 4th, 1927, to Howard and Helen Bassett in Ithaca, NY. She grew up on the family farm in Interlaken, NY, in the Finger Lakes region of NY. In 1946, Fran graduated from South Seneca High School as her class salutatorian.

After high school, Fran attended Houghton College, a Christian college located in western NY, where she was a General Science major, and where she met her husband, J. Edwin Hostetter. After graduation, Fran completed her Masters' Degree at Albany State Teachers' College, and then taught high school sciences at Kendall Central High School in Kendall, NY.

Shortly after this, Ed and Fran were married in Interlaken, NY on April 4th, 1953. They initially settled in Staten Island, NY, and a couple of years later, Ed's work as a public school administrator, took them to New City, NY, where they were blessed with five children: Ruth Anne; Ed Jr.; Suzanne Joy; Timothy Joel; and Carol Lynne. In 1973, the family moved to Pleasant Valley, NY, where Ed and Fran resided until 2011, when they moved to Ohio. Family was always a priority, so one of Fran's greatest joys was to be blessed with fourteen grandchildren, plus their spouses, and seven great-grandchildren.

Fran's primary life goals were to live a life that was pleasing to God, and to be a great wife and mother. In a typical day, for most of her life, she would get up at 4:00AM to read her Bible and pray to her Heavenly Father. (She often told her children that "lazy people don't get up until 6:30AM.") She was a "prayer warrior" who kept lists of prayer requests, and checked them off as God answered her prayers. She always tried to be a good example and encouragement to those around her, and brought boundless energy, enthusiasm, and infectious joy to everything she did. She'd often quote from Psalm 118:24, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Fran was predeceased by three of her brothers, Howard (2012), Charles (2015), and Robert (2016) Bassett, and just recently, by her nephew and son of her twin-brother Charles, Charles E. "Chuck" Bassett (June 2018). She is survived by her youngest brother Daniel Bassett of Utica, NY.

Fran is also survived by: her husband, Ed of Northwood, OH; her children, Ruth (Denis) Nietz of Northwood, OH; Ed (Babette) Hostetter, Jr. of Pleasant Valley, NY; Suzanne Duryee (Bret) of Colorado Springs, CO; Tim (Barbara) Hostetter of Hyde Park, NY; Carol (James) Phillips of Newburgh, NY; her 14 grandchildren; and her 7 great-grandchildren.

Calling hours will be at the Sacred Heart Home (now the Gardens of St. Francis), 930 S. Wynn Rd., Oregon, Ohio on Friday, February 15th, from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. An additional hour of visitation will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, February 16th, at Hoeflinger-Shank Funeral Home, 3500 Navarre Ave, Oregon, Ohio followed by a memorial service to celebrate Fran's life at 11:00 A.M. for family and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Fran Hostetter may be sent to Tabernacle Christian Academy, 155 Academy St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, where Fran was an elementary school teacher.

The family would like to express thanks and appreciation to the staff at the Sacred Heart Home – Little Sisters of the Poor (now Gardens of St. Francis-CHI) for the eight years of outstanding care that Fran received, and to the Hospice of Northwest Ohio team for their love and support during the final days of Fran's life.

To share memories and condolences with Fran's family please visit our website at: www.hoeflingerfuneralhome.com