To the Editor:

We write to you today to express our gratitude and support for an Altamont business that has been a part of the fabric of the Altamont community since the 1800s. In May, our mother and grandmother, Thelma Gade Elgie, passed away at 102, and her arrangements were handled by the Collett family, owners of Fredendall Funeral Home since 2021.

The respect and care for our family shown by the Fredendall ownership were outstanding, from the preplanning process through the funeral and beyond. Thelma Gade Elgie and her husband, Augustus “Jim” Elgie Jr., owned Fredendall for a few short but proud years in the late 1940s and ’50s until Jim passed away in 1956. When our mother and grandmother passed, there was no question that she would return to Fredendall for her services despite the many other choices in the area.

We are so thankful for the Collett family and their excellent care for our mother and grandmother, and the compassionate care they showed to us. We are so encouraged by the focus on and support they have for the the Altamont community and their commitment to keeping this a family-owned and family-operated business, as has been the proud tradition of Fredendall for over a century. We so appreciate their assistance, and encourage others to support this vital Altamont business.

Kerry Delaney-Masawi

For the family of Thelma Gade Elgie