Virginia Mae Roth

Portland, Maine

March 16, 1925 – July 30, 2016

Virginia Mae Ward (Ginny), was born to Bill and Eleanor Ward on March 16, 1925 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. She married Melvin (Mel) George Kidder in 1947 and had three children; George, Jimmy and Kathie. In 1950, Ginny’s parents moved to Goldenrod, Florida to a house on the corner of Aloma and Palmetto. In 1951, Ginny and her family, Mel, George, and Jimmy, moved to that house after her parents built a house directly behind it. In 1954 Ginny and Mel built a house on Magnolia Ave where their daughter, Kathie was born in 1955. In 1972 they added a pool to the house on Magnolia Ave where Ginny proceeded to teach all her grandchildren, great grandchildren the neighborhood children and then their kids how to swim. Her dad Bill, and husband Mel, had a painting and floor covering business in Goldenrod. Her family became very active in the goldenrod Civic Club even helping with the construction of the building and was also instrumental in establishing and building the local fire department. The women were known as Firecrackers and went to as many fires as possible, bringing food and water to the firemen and helping the families in many ways. When the fire department went from being a volunteer organization to a paid department, her dad became Fire Chief, her husband a lieutenant, and her son a fireman. They raised money for both the fire department and civic club by hosting suppers, ice cream socials and carnivals. The civic club was a big part of her family life, hosting many events, such as her 25th wedding anniversary, her daughter’s wedding, and later her retirement party. Both she and her father served as President of the civic club. Ginny started working at the Goldenrod super market (Spelzhausen’s) part time in various positions. She was a cashier, she helped in the produce department, and also assisted Fred Spelzhausen with the cooking and catering to some of the affairs for local Winter Park doctors. She also worked in the family business at the paint and floor covering store. Ginny got her start with the Postal Service when she was asked by the rural route mail carrier to be his relief driver on Saturday’s and when he was on vacation. The Goldenrod postmaster, Wally Spelzhausen, told her to take her Civil Service exam so she could also work as his relief. She did and began working at the post office in the corner of Spelzausen’s Super Market. When Wally retired in 1972, she became the Goldenrod postmaster until her retirement in 1985. She and her family were members of St. Margate Mary’s in Winter Park until the death of her husband, Mel. She then became an active member of Aloma Methodist Church where she held various positions and assisted with various activities and events. In 2003 she moved to Colorado to be with her son George and his wife Ann, where she joined Meeker United Methodist Church and became a lay speaker. She participated with the Share program and was known as Santa Clause’s mom. In 2013 she returned to central Florida to live with her daughter Kathie and her husband Gary in Osteen. Ginny enjoyed fishing, shrimping and camping. She also enjoyed taking ALL of her grandchildren to Fort Wilderness for fun-filled weekends. She was an avid Bingo player and enjoyed taking cruises with several of her friends. She is predeceased by her parents Bill and Eleanor Ward, her husband Mel Kidder and her second husband Charles Roth, her son Jimmy Kidder, her great grandson Christopher Hayden, and both her sisters Barbara Lowell and Shirley Robinson. She is survived by her son George (Ann) of Craig, Colorado and her daughter Kathie (Gary) of Osteen, Florida eight (8) grandchildren, seventeen (17) great-grandchildren, numerous step grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loving nieces and nephews.

Donation in Ginny’s name can be made to Florida hospital Hospice – Ormond Beach.

She is Gone

You can shed tears that she is gone

Or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back

Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her

Or you can be full of the love that you shared

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday

Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember her and only that she is gone

Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on

You can cry and close your mind,

be empty and turn you back

Or you can do what she would want:

smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

-David Harkins