Edith Klingensmith
Edith Erdlen Klingensmith, 82, of Orrville, Ohio, formerly of Girard, Erie County, Pa., went home to be with her Lord Saturday following a lengthy illness.
She was born in Pittsburgh, Feb. 15, 1928, the daughter of the late John and Teresa Dowling Erdlen. The family left Pittsburgh in 1936 following the epic flood in that city and relocated to Warrendale, where Edith attended public schools.
She raised her family in Mars, and in 1967, she relocated to Crawford County and lived in northwestern Pennsylvania for more than 30 years before moving to Ohio.
Edith worked in retail positions for many years.
She was a woman of strong faith and a member of various Christian and Missionary Alliance churches throughout her life, most notably in Mars and Girard.
Her passion was her family, especially her grandchildren. She used her exceptional craft and needlework skills to create handmade gifts for each of them. She enjoyed gardening and flowers, cooking, music, word games, The New York Times Sunday crossword, spending vacations at Pymatuning with her grandchildren, shopping at yard sales, family picnics and baseball. Watching a baseball game was a whole body and mind experience for her and a very entertaining one for anyone observing. She collected dolls, and her collection was featured in a local newspaper article.
In addition to her parents, Edith was preceded in death by her husband, Daniel O. Klingensmith; all of her siblings, Beatrice Thompson and Mary Davison of Conneautville, Rose Dunbar of Portersville, John "Jackie," who died in childhood, and Harry Erdlen of Sewickley.
She is survived by three children, Christine Adams (Hiram Laborde) of Pine Bush, N.Y., Dan Klingensmith (Diana) of Girard, Pa., and Kathy Conley (Dave) of Dalton, Ohio. Her daughter Kathy looked after her mother's interests and coordinated her care for the last several years of her life.
Her nine grandchildren are Jennifer Simonds (Aaric) of Campbell Hall, N.Y., Michael Adams of Brooklyn, N.Y., Ken Adams of New City, N.Y., Patricia Reynolds and Rob Klingensmith (Tina) of Lake City, Pa., Stefanie Parker of Kingsville, Ohio, Lee Conley (Erin) and Travis Conley of Brewster, Ohio, and Aimee Miller (Sam) of Dalton, Ohio. Edith is also survived by five great-grandsons and three great-granddaughters.
<B>KLINGENSMITH</B> — Friends of Edith Erdlen Klingensmith, who died Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010, may call at the <B>Burton Funeral Home</B>, 525 Main St. East in Girard, Pa. from 3 to 6 p.m. today. Services will be in Burton's All Faiths' Chapel at 6 p.m. today with the Rev. Clyde Davis, pastor of the Girard Alliance Church, officiating.Memorial contributions may be made to the Girard Alliance Church, 229 Rice Ave., Girard, PA 16417.Condolences may be sent at www.burtonfuneralhome.com.
