Nicholas Kersch

Nicholas “Nick” Kersch, 81, of Lyndonville, beloved husband, father, grandfather and uncle, passed away on Mon., Feb. 24, 2020 at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, following a short illness.

Nick grew up in Wyoming County and worked many long hours as a manager for McCormick Potato Farms. He met and married his wife of 56 years, Mary Louise “Dolly” Songer, and she was the love of his life. In the mid-1960s, they moved to Orleans County, where Nick managed the apple orchards for LaMont Fruit Farms for nearly 45 years. Upon retiring from LaMont, he owned and operated Empire Orchards in Lyndonville, which at the time of planting had the largest block of Empire apples on the east coast of the United States.

They raised two daughters, Loriann and Kathy, on the family farm, where they later planted a blueberry patch. Nick successfully operated a U-pick blueberry market known for blueberries the size of quarters.

Nick was always willing to help a fellow farmer in need, fixing tote boxes or machinery and offering farming help in the apple orchards of the Amish community when they first settled in this area. His two grandsons were the apples of his eye, and they have many fond memories of “Pop’s” antics on family vacations. Nick loved to play cards and won many games of cribbage with his sister, as well as games of euchre as a member of the Medina VFW Euchre League, never trumping his partner’s ace. Nick had a strong work ethic and was a devout Catholic. You could always find Nick driving his Kubota forklift out in the orchard or gossiping with his fellow farmers over coffee.

He served his community by being a town board member for the Town of Ridgeway, a member of the Lyndonville Lions Club, a member of the International Dwarf Fruit Tree Association, a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus, Medina Council #651, and a parent host for several foreign exchange students with the American Field Service.

Nick is survived by his wife, Mary (Songer) Kersch; daughters, Loriann (Kevin) Martel and Katherine (Kevin) Bogan; two grandsons, Brian and Nicholas Bogan, both currently attending engineering degree programs at RIT; sister, Mary Lou Kersch; brother, Michael Kersch; brother-in-law, Robert Songer; and several nieces and nephews.

He is predeceased by his parents, George and Gertrude Kersch; and his two brothers, Mark and Anthony Kersch.

Relatives and friends may call on Sun., March 1 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Bogan & Tuttle Funeral Home, 226 Pearl St., Medina NY 14103. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Mon., March 2 at Our Lady of the Lake Parish, St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, 38 Lake Ave., Lyndonville. Interment will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery.

Memorials may be made in Nick’s name to United Memorial Medical Center Foundation, 127 North St., Batavia NY 14020.

Please light a candle or share a memory of Nick at www.bogantuttlefunerals.com.