Frances E. Ulmer

Frances Elizabeth Metzger Ulmer, 85, passed on to her eternal reward on February 18, 2011 after a brief illness and hospitalization. She was a resident of Cornwall Manor retirement community in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. She was the wife of the late Rev. Harold L. Ulmer who died on March 16, 2003 She is survived by a son, Harold David Ulmer and his wife Susan L. Arnold of Mountville, PA; grand daughters, Amanda Bethe Ulmer Campbell of Georgetown, ME and Molly Ann Ulmer Delan of Arrowsic, ME and their mother Wendy Uhler Ulmer also of Maine; great grandsons Connor Harold Campbell and Tucker Robinson Harold Delan; step grandchildren Nicholas Longobardi (Chandler, AZ) and Lauren (Longobardi), Jim and Kaitlyn Henretty (Chesapeake, MD). Other surviving relatives include a niece, Elaine Metzger Jones of Prescott Valley, AZ, a nephew Robert Aringdale of Burlington, IA and numerous grand nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by: her parents, Bertha Iowa Metzger and David Metzger; a sister, Eunice Dorothy Metzger Aringdale, and a brother, Hollis David Metzger both of Iowa. Frances E. Ulmer was born on July 10, 1925 on her parent’s farm in rural Winfield, Louisa County, Iowa and attended public school in Wyman, Iowa where she graduated from high school in 1941. Following graduation she was employed by t he Winfield Beacon newspaper where she was a typesetter and office clerk. It was there that she met her future husband, Harold L. Ulmer of Lancaster, PA who was serving as a pastoral intern at the Winfield Presbyterian church. He was at the time a student at Iowa Wesleyan College. They were married December 19, 1949 at the Spring Run Church, Spring Run, IA. The couple then moved to Pennsylvania where they resided in West Reading, PA while Mr. Ulmer attended seminary in Reading, PA. Frances was a faithful and loyal wife, serving alongside her husband in pastorates in United Brethren, Evangelical United Brethren and United Methodist churches in Ackermanville, Saylorsburg, Reading, Ironville, Ephrata and Cleona, all in Pennsylvania. Ironically, one of the first churches the couple served in Saylorsburg, PA was only several miles from the town (Cherry Valley) where Mrs. Ulmer’s Metzger relatives began their migration to Iowa in the early 1800’s. In addition to being a full-time homemaker, Frances served in various unofficial church capacities over the year – pianist, Sunday school and Vacation Bible School teacher and church secretary. She also assisted in various church fund raising efforts (including the creation of a battalion of “sock monkeys” during their craze in the 1950’s). These various fund raising efforts helped to finance the construction of a new church and an educational unit at the couple’s first pastoral assignment to the Ackermanville/Saylorsburg charge in the Poconos. The couple retired from the Christian ministry in 1988 and moved to Cornwall Manor in 2000. Throughout the years, Frances Ulmer’s pastime interest included decorating, antiquing, playing the piano, traveling, painting, genealogy, cooking, needlework, and corresponding with family members and various church friends with whom she established long-lasting relationships. At Cornwall Manor she worked as a volunteer in the community’s thrift shop and served as a visitation volunteer in the health center. At the request of Mrs. Ulmer there will be only a private interment service at Ironville cemetery in the spring. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the American Cancer Society, the Cornwall Manor Benevolent Fund, Hospice of Lebanon County or the Immanuel United Methodist Church Library, (Cleona, PA) PDF Printable Version

Frances E. Ulmer

July 10, 1925 - February 18, 2011