Altha Grace Spaulding Drake of Liberty Hill, Texas, passed away on December 28, 2023 at the age of 98. She was born in Readington Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey to Ole Dayre Spaulding, Sr. And Ada Mae (Carr) Spaulding. Altha grew up as a farm girl in New York and New Jersey. Her siblings pre-deceased her. They were Shirley Spaulding Cook, Dr. Spencer Spaulding, George H. Spaulding, Ole Spaulding Jr. and Forrest Spaulding. Altha was proud to be a graduate of Afton High School in Afton, New York. During her final year of study, she worked three jobs to earn enough to live independently of her family while continuing her studies. Post graduation she moved from New York back to New Jersey and found a job with Western Union in Newark during WWII. During the war years, she met Franklin C. Drake from Nutley, New Jersey, and married him on June 1, 1947. They enjoyed 66 years of a wonderful marriage during which time Franklin was an accountant and Altha worked as a librarian in the Nutley public library for a number of years. She later worked at Borgess Medical Center for 22 years in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the personnel department until her retirement in the 1990s. She and FCD retired on the exact same day and boarded a plane to Hawaii to celebrate.
Altha and Franklin (deceased 2013) had three children: Kenneth (PA) (wife Francene Ersfeld Drake), Keith (deceased 2012) wife Katy Fleury (NY), and daughter Kit (TX) (husband Gary Vaughn). Her four grandchildren are: Kenneth Paul Drake (NJ) (wife Jill Sampson Drake), Karina Vaughn Carr (TX) (husband Jason Carr), Kristopher Lee Vaughn, (LA) (wife Marisa Chaffin Vaughn) and Jem Fleury (NY) (wife Michele Peppers Fleury). Her four great granddaughters are: Karen Drake Alvarez (NJ) (husband Manny Alvarez), Kaelee Carr (TX), Kinslee Carr (TX) and Savannah Vaughn (LA). Many nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends were always a part of her life.
When her children were growing up in Nutley, NJ, she wore many hats such as Girl Scout leader, a voice for the choir of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Nutley, an active PTA member, hostess for many family picnics and affairs and loved to tell family stories to anyone with ears. Altha penned an autobiographical account of growing up as a Farmer's daughter. Her writings included a hilarious piece entitled "frizzled bologna" which was the tale of the families' first encounter with bologna which her mother would not let her eat uncooked- it had to be "frizzled" first. She was a self-taught pianist and she enjoyed making collages and watercolors.
Altha was a prodigious writer, often penning letters daily to numerous friends and family. Her letters extend from the 1940s to 2023. She wrote poetry and short stories as well. When she learned how to email and text in her 90s she continued scripting to friends who had not mastered the internet.
She and Franklin were active in the Lutheran church, senior community groups, singing groups and they traveled the country as often as possible even if it was just a day trip. Porch parties (potlucks) in Kalamazoo, MI, were hosted by the couple at their home for all of their friends several times a year.
Altha's health declined over the last years of her life. She was grateful that she was able to continue to write letters into her late 90s until a stroke halted that. She will be remembered for the love and caring she brought to all of her family, friends, co-workers and those she met and engaged in conversations and gestures during this final vibrant sunset year of her life. Her family would like to express gratitude and love to the following groups and individuals (there were so many others who crossed her path with kindnesses also) who were engrossed in her life like family: Pastor Gary Greiger, Pastor Mike Cofer and Mission Liberty Hill Lutheran Church, Joan Lytle, Barb and Mike Ashby, Pat and Steve Schmidt, Sandy Nestor, Tammy Von Stein, Linda Krischke, Linda Knust, Sharon Morrison, the Nicks family, Dawn and John Butz, Rose (deceased 2023) and Penny Wollum, Marlin Gerber, and Jackie Lawson and the wonderful staff of Traditions Home Hospice Care. Thank-you one and all.
The funeral service with burial directly afterward will be held at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home at 10:00 a.m., on January 6, 2024. 14501 North Interstate 35, Pflugerville, Texas 78660. No visitation is planned.
Suggestions for tribute gifts are:
Mission Liberty Hill Lutheran Church Building Fund, 15725 SH-29 Unit 7, Liberty Hill, Texas 78642 or UMASS ALS Celluci Fund Office of Advancement, 333 South Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.
As Altha liked to end her telephone conversations many times, so this tribute to her will end with her words: “Talk to you…”
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