Frances M Riding

The two girls were welcomed into the family by their older siblings: big brother Joe and older sister, Betty.

Their birth occurred during the Great Depression, which was a difficult time for many people as jobs were scarce and poverty was wide-spread.

The family grew, and Frances and Margaret eventually welcomed younger brother Richard.

Time marched on and the family – like many others – struggled to make ends meet.

As World War II was ravaging the world, the siblings were temporarily sheltered in a children’s home to ensure they received the basics and food they needed.

Their mother Patricia then remarried a wonderful and caring man – Vincent Berger – and together they brought the children back into a family home, where they happily grew into young adulthood surrounded by love.

Patricia and Vincent were further blessed, and Frances eventually gained new siblings – younger brothers Bill and Chris, along with baby sister Gina.

Frances met Jack Modlin around 1949 and the two fell in love and married two years later.

Daughter Dianne was born in 1953, and was then followed by Mary in 1957.

Frances and Jack both worked hard to give their two daughters a good life, much of which was spent growing up first in North Charleston and then in Mt. Pleasant and West of the Ashley.

The girls have fond memories of returning home from school during their teen years and calling their mother to check-in, and hearing her answer the phone with a very professional greeting of “Marine Center” – citing the name of the business where she worked as the bookkeeper and office manager for many years.

The family discovered the joys of camping, starting first with tent adventures. Jack and Frances then began spending many of their weekends camping out at Rocks’ Pond – the fun of which was an often-remembered topic of discussion.

Dianne and Mary grew into young women, and eventually married. In 1977, Dianne presented Frances with her first grandchild, Wes Schroder.

Wes was followed by grandchild #2, Jesse Ross, born to Mary in 1979.

The count of grandsons increased by one in 1981, when daughter Dianne gave birth to Bryan.

Frances then became a widow in 1982, when she lost her much-loved husband Jack.

Frances was a resilient woman who showed strength and determination despite that loss. She faced her grief head-on while continuing to work, taking care of her home and spending time with her family.

The family expanded once again when grandson # 4 – Warren – was born in 1985.

And then – a second chance at love presented itself when Charlie Riding came in to her life once again.

It was a rekindling of an old friendship because Charlie and his departed wife Doree had been friends with Frances and Jack for years.

That renewed friendship turned into a true movie-perfect moment when the two fell in love and married.

Frances moved in with Charlie at his ‘river house’ – and the family enjoy many wonderful days of fishing and cooking out and spending time together.

During her time with Charlie, Frances took on a new adventure – learning how to shoot skeet and spending time at the local gun club with Charlie.

Unfortunately, Charlie passed away unexpectedly, and Frances found herself a widow once again.

She was strong and courageous in the face of this unexpected loss, staying at the river house by herself for a number of months. It was a large property, however, and eventually it became too much to care for.

Frances was welcomed into the Schroders’ family home when an in-law suite was added on to the house to provide her with a little place of her own.

That was the beginning of Frances’s golden years, some of the best years of her life.

The extended family grew in 2002, when the Ross family brought Frances’s first great-grandson Lochlan into the world.

Lochlan was followed by great-grandson #2 – Jack Schroder – in 2016. Both of her great-grandsons were her pride and joy.

All told, despite a challenging start in life during a time of world-wide strive, Frances triumphed and went on to life a fulfilling and happy life surrounded with family and friends.

She dearly loved her family. Her siblings – Joe, Betty, Margaret, Richard, Bill, Chris and Gina – her daughters Dianne and Mary - her grandsons Wes, Jesse, Bryan and Warren, - and great-grandsons Lochlan and Jack, her nephews and nieces and great nephews and great nieces, and they all hold fond memories of the wonderful times the family spend together.

Frances was an incredible woman who lived a long and fulfilling life which touched the hearts of so many people. She was a shining example of perseverance and resiliency who will be well-remembered for the loving support she provided to others during difficult times and the fun she embraced with friends and family alike during the good times.

She was strong and kind-hearted, offering up wisdom and guidance when needed while allowing the freedom for each of family members to spread their wings and grow.

We will remember the golden, sun-filled days and envision her lounging in the backyard pool with a beer in one hand and a cup of boiled peanuts in the other.

We will draw strength from having witnessed her courage, and take comfort in knowing that she is always in our hearts.

She was a true matriarch and an inspiration to us all and she will live on through each and every one of us.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.carolinamemorial.com for the Riding family.