Jean Bartholomew Fritz, age 76, a long-time resident of Lemmon, passed away Wednesday morning September 6, 2017 at the Faulkton Nursing Home in Faulkton, SD surrounded by her family.


Born in 1941 in Phillip, SD, Jean was the third child of George and Bessie (Whitney) Bartholomew. She was one of eleven Bartholomew children, and with eight younger siblings at home, Jeannie spent much of her time helping her mother care for her younger brothers and sisters. She graduated from Lemmon High School in 1959, and attended the Black Hills School of Cosmetology in Rapid City. Afterwards, she returned to Lemmon and worked as a beautician.

Jean met Eldon Umiker of Gettysburg, SD in 1961, and they were married the following year. They had three children – Barbara, Brenda, and Bryan – and lived in the Gettysburg area for most of their marriage.

Jean married Larry Fritz of Mobridge, SD in 1976, and they were happily married for 41 years. They had one daughter, Melissa, and lived for several years in Mobridge, SD. After the death of her father in 1984, Jean and Larry returned to Lemmon to care for Jean's mother, Bessie, who had suffered a debilitating stroke in 1978. Jean and Larry resided in Lemmon for most of the subsequent 33 years. Jean worked for several years at the LIVE Center, and also operated her own café for a few years. Most recently, Jean managed the Lemmon Country Inn until her retirement in 2008.

She loved her children, and she worked very hard throughout her life to provide for them. She often held down two or three jobs at a time, and Jean did her best to give her children the opportunities to realize their dreams. Jean was ever the optimist, and she shared her optimism, faith, and enthusiasm with her children. Even when times were hard – and they often were – she encouraged them to recognize and seize every opportunity to celebrate life. This was true not only during the big traditional holidays, but also in the many smaller, everyday moments that make up a life.

In later years, she loved to spend time with her grandchildren, playing board games, teaching them songs, and most especially, sharing her passion for cooking and scrapbooking. Decorating Christmas cookies was a big favorite, along with sewing projects, musical performances, etc. Any chance to spend time with her grandchildren; you knew Jean would be there.

She was devoted to her extended family – siblings, parents, grandparents – and was always there to support and care for them in their time of need, often traveling great distances to do so. She was a great friend to many, and would take in a friend or neighbor if they needed help, no questions asked. She was generous and giving to a fault, and no matter how tough times might get, she was always considerate of those who had less. Holiday dinners frequently included a neighbor, acquaintance, or even a practical stranger. If they were alone, and they were going through a rough time and had nowhere else to go, then consider them invited.

Her beauty school training served her well, as she gave countless free haircuts, curl jobs, permanents, colorings, etc. over the years. Her mother and father topped her client list, as did her grandmother, and they would all take advantage of her talents for a quick trim and style. Her husband and children were enthusiastic patrons, and they would never fail to ask that a trim include one of her soothing and massaging shampoos.

Jean was famous within the family for her many casseroles, strudels, knoephla soup, bars, and most impressively, her elaborate and beautiful cakes. She was entirely self-taught as a baker and cake designer, and she took great pride in her creative and decorative accomplishments.

She was an avid scrap-booker, and she created many beautiful albums celebrating her family's shared history and accomplishments, as well as the many smaller celebrations and moments of daily life. In the process, she became a bit of a family historian, and she was proud of the Bartholomew family's history and heritage.

Jean is survived by her husband, Larry Fritz, Lemmon, SD; three daughters, Barbara Umiker, Dillingham, AK, Brenda and Gary Even, Keldron, SD, and Melissa and Paul Iszler, Gillette, WY; one son, Bryan and April Umiker, Maplewood, NJ; five grandchildren, Mariah Even, Kenan and Kevin Iszler, Gracie and Owen Umiker; five brothers, Ralph and Fern Bartholomew, Saratoga, WY, Chuck and Leslie Bartholomew, Las Vegas, NV, Dr. Ken and Twyla Bartholomew, Ft. Pierre, SD, Don and Sue Bartholomew, Chandler, AZ, and David and Marian Bartholomew, Faulkton, SD; and three sisters, Marie Wolbach, Palo Alto, CA, Susan Schopp, Cavalier, ND and Teresa Bartholomew, Faulkton, SD; and by many nieces and nephews.

She is reunited with her grandparents, her mother and father, and her loving and cherished brothers, Bill and Tom.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Jean will be held at 2:00pm MT, Saturday, September 9, 2017 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lemmon with Fr. Tony Grossenburg, officiating. A Rosary Service will be held at 7:00pm on Friday evening at the church in Lemmon. Following the Mass of Christian Burial, cremation will take place and burial in Greenhill Cemetery at Lemmon.

Visitation will be on Friday, September 8, 2017 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. followed by a family and friend's service and rosary service at 7:00 p.m. all at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lemmon.