Frances Sylvia Lynch

Frances Sylvia Lynch was born in Duluth, Minnesota on September 3, 1921. Her parents were Arthur and Lydia Schletz. She had three sisters all of whom preceded her to heaven: Dorothy, Alice, and Audrey. She is survived by her children, Kathy Forseth, Lydia Proctor, Pat (Evelyn) Lynch and Tim (Betsi) Lynch. She has also passed on the blessing of her legacy to 10 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren. She will be deeply missed by many friends and relatives.

As a young girl Frances was able to travel all around the USA due to her father’s employment with the railroad. She reveled in the experiences of being able to go on the train anywhere she wanted. She said the crews would treat her like royalty and would always make sure that she had a window seat. She secretly thought that she was the favorite daughter of her father because he always seemed to have some candy to give to her (shh… I heard similar stories from her sisters of how they believed that they were the favorite).

Frances’ mom, Lydia, had a dear friend, Marie who had a son named Patrick Lynch. Patrick went up to Minnesota to visit there and met Frances. The rest is history! Due to Pat being in the Marine Corps., after they were married they made their first home in Santa Barbara where Kathy was born a year later. They moved back to Minnesota where Lydia and son Pat were born, then back to California where quite some time later, Tim was born.

In the early days of 1952, Pat, was diagnosed with a fatal disease. She was faced with living as a single mom with three young children. This put a lot of pressure on her, and she faced great uncertainty of what her future would be like. However, through prayers and God’s grace Pat was healed and afterward lived a long life.

The family moved from Minnesota in 1951 to Compton, California. Subsequently, moving on to several different homes, with many being in Redondo Beach. Some time after the passing of her husband, Pat, in 2002, Frances moved to live with Lydia in Torrance, California.

Frances loved all children and always wanted them to have a rich and full life. She taught Youth Institute (Children’s Church), provided a Good News Club (a Christian outreach to children, usually in homes), was a Little League team mother, taught Sunday School, and provided guidance along the way for many children (adults too). It was fun to hear the kids singing, as they played in the neighborhood, the songs from the Good News Club. Frances also served as the camp nurse one year.

Frances was active in church. She taught Sunday School for many years. She served as Children’s Church leader, was a choir member and did other things in service to God through the church. She was always faithful in attendance and support. She made sure that her children were always in church together.

She ensured that the family would be in church on Sundays, even when the family was on vacation in other cities and states.

Those close to Frances were privy to her ‘delightful humor and feisty playfulness’. She especially loved to tease and rile up the little ones with joking and mimicking.

In her last months, her family would observe her private and continuous devoted conversations and songs to her Lord and Savior. Her great desire is that all her family members, all the way through her great-great-grandchildren would love the Lord as she did.