Frederika Vanderzee Cranston died suddenly on Sunday, February 6, 2011. She was born on January 20, 1923 to Catherine (Rinsma) and John Vanderzee. Though she was born and grew up in Walton, she would be quick to tell you that she was conceived in Holland, because her parents had only immigrated to the United States in the fall of 1922. Her Dutch heritage was a great source of pride to her. She graduated from Walton Central School and married William E. Cranston on September 29, 1945. They had four children: Jerry (Kay) in Eldon, Iowa, Jim in Reno, Nevada and Sally in Walton. She was predeceased by her son Tom in 1983 and her husband in 2001.

Freddy had a long and full life and until recently she was always active in the community and the United Methodist Church. She had many, many friends and enjoyed playing bridge, going to Game Day at the church, doing crosswords, and especially playing Scrabble with her dear and true friend, William Beckmann.

When Freddy retired from working at Fancher's Law Office, she was active in her flower garden, at the Walton Food Bank, with the Haulenbeek-Cable Scholarship Committee, the Delhi Bird Club, and the Delaware Historical Society where she was the Walton Village Historian. Freddy was a chronicler of people, places and events—little went unnoticed or unnoted and all photographs were dated. She had recently begun to correspond with her cousin, Roelof, in Holland who wrote her that the Vanderzee Family Tree went back as far as 1700 and that her great-grandfather's wife's family could be traced back to 1400. This is the sort of information she loved.

Freddy and her husband Bill both loved to sing, and there was no road trip without song. For the past five years she had been spending Sunday afternoons at her daughter's house in the country. There, on the deck in a rocker or on the couch in the living room, she listened all afternoon to the radio. Her favorite program was Prairie Home Companion. She could relate to the stories and knew the words to all the songs.

Freddy is survived by her three children, her grandchildren, Nathan, Amanda, Cornelius, Brad, Missy and Jennifer, and her much loved great-granddaughter Breeze. She is also survived by her sister Katie in Auburn. Freddy was predeceased by her sisters Hilda Kipp, Anna Taggart, and Mary Pedley. She had wonderful nieces and nephews who have helped her so often with whatever she needed. She also had a special place in her heart for her lifelong friends, Gloria Clark, Peggy Shields, and her sister in law Alice Neice.

Those wishing to make contributions in Freddy's name may do with the United Methodist Church , the William B. Ogden Free Library in Walton or the Heart of the Catskills Humane Society in Delhi.

Calling Hours will be at the Courtney Funeral Home at 25 Townsend St. on Wednesday, February 9 from 2 to 4 and from 6 to 8. Freddy's funeral will be held at the United Methodist Church, 101 North Street, Walton on Thursday, February 10 at 11:00 a.m.