Obituary of Virginia M. Spence

Virginia M. Spence, 88, formerly of Orchard Grove and Memory Garden, passed away Wednesday December 21, 2022, in UPMC Chautauqua surrounded by her family. She was born July 18, 1934, in an old farmhouse in Summerdale, NY a daughter of the late Nelson Amos and Allie Mae Boyer Drake. Virginia attended Chautauqua Central School and graduated from Bell High School in California. Prior to her retirement, she was employed by Grays Drugs in Chautauqua Mall. She remained friends with her dear co-workers RubyAnn White and Jim Sposato. She loved sewing, having made school dresses, prom dresses and a couple of wedding dresses for her daughters. She sewed many small aprons for the children in her daughters' preschool classes. She loved reading, crafting, baking, cooking, crocheting many afghans for friends and family, scrapbooking, traveling, cheering for the Buffalo Bills and seeing K-9 Drake named after her nephew Thomas Drake. She had a beautiful smile, warm heart, and she loved her family and extended family including her sisters in law Nancy, Sandi and Sandy Tellinghuisen. She will be remembered as a loving and caring mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She will live on through her seven children Cheryl Milner, Debby (Tom) Newton, Pat (John) Bull and Carrie (Guy) Adams all of Ashville, Jim (Diane) Tellinghuisen of Rochester, NY, Penny (Dave Lepley) Tellinghuisen of Celoron, Peggy (Rod) Kolstee of Bemus Point, and one she thought of as her own Karin Newton of Oklahoma; thirteen grandchildren Brandy Milner, Katie Kimple, Jared Newton, Chris Bull, Camie Rigirozzi, Amber Tellinghuisen, Jesse Tellinghuisen, Stephen Fiorella, Brandon Fiorella, Willie Kennelly, Dan Kolstee, Nicole Adams and Ashley Adams; twenty three great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Besides her parents she was preceded in death by her first husband Edward Tellinghuisen; second husband William Spence, Jr.; brothers Stanley Drake, Floyd Amos Drake and Kenneth Deets; half sisters Lorena Drake Sweatman and Myrtle Drake Olson; half brother Marvin Deets and nephew Thomas Drake. The family wishes to thank Orchard Grove, Memory Garden, UPMC Hamot, and UPMC Chautauqua for their loving care of their precious mom. The funeral will be held at 4 pm Tuesday in the Lind Funeral Home. Friends will be received from 2-4 pm Tuesday in the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org. You may leave words of condolence at www.lindfuneralhome.com.