Ruth Martha Lynch

December 4, 1917 - September 1, 2018

Claverack- Ruth Martha (Heins) Lynch, 100, formerly of West Taghkanic, entered into rest on September 1, 2018 at her residence. Ruth was born December 4, 1917 in West Taghkanic, NY in the home of her parents, Fred Clause Heins Jr. and Martha Ada (Haferkorn) Heins. Ruth spent her childhood on her parent’s family farm which her grandparents purchased in 1910 upon their planned relocation from New York City. She attended a one room school house in West Taghkanic for grades 1 – 8 and graduated from Hudson High School in 1935. On January 22, 1939 she married John James Lynch Jr. of Brooklyn, NY. They were married for 47 years until John’s death from Parkinson’s disease on January 16, 1986. John and Ruth worked the family dairy farm in West Taghkanic for 28 years until John went to work for the Taconic State Park Commission. Besides raising a family, being a homemaker, and working on the farm, Ruth was always involved in community activities. She was an original member of the Holy Cross Society and Parish Council for the Church of the Holy Cross in West Taghkanic and was deeply involved in all church activities. She was a charter member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the West Taghkanic Fire Department and she was Deputy Town Clerk for the Town of Taghkanic. Ruth was an avid cook and baker. She is widely known for her cookies, which she baked every Saturday morning right to age 100. No one ever left her house without a plate of cookies. She also loved to make German foods such as pickled beets, red cabbage, and sauerbraten. Ruth was also an avid pie baker. She entered and won many pie baking contests with the West Taghkanic Home Bureau. Ruth is survived by her daughter Nancy Ann (Lynch) Griffith and husband Arthur of West Taghkanic and her son John James Lynch III and wife Patricia of Bronxville, NY. Three grandchildren; Catherine Ann Lynch of Bronxville, Maureen Elizabeth (Lynch) McGuire and husband Daniel of Wynnewood, PA and John James Lynch IV and wife Christine of New York City. Four great grandchildren; Brad Daniel Lynch and Caroline Elizabeth Lynch of New York City and Dylan James McGuire and Elizabeth Anne McGuire of Wynnewood and numerous nieces and nephews. During her life she so much enjoyed playing with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. They were the joys of her life and they brought out Ruth’s fun loving ways which was a characteristic she always displayed with all friends and relatives. She is predeceased by two sisters; Edith Emma (Heins) Verity, Lillian Matilda (Heins) Morrison and her brother Arthur Kenneth Heins. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at 10:00 am from St. Mary’s Church of Holy Trinity Parish, Hudson. Interment will follow at Cedar Park Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Bates & Anderson- Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home, 110 Green Street, Hudson. The family would like to thank all the compassionate caregivers and neighbors who became part of Ruth’s last few years of life. Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to the Community Hospice of Columbia – Greene, 47 Liberty Street, Catskill 12414 or to EWTN, 5817 Old Leeds Road, Irondale, Alabama 35210-9948 in Ruth’s memory.