Arthur D. "Denny" Menschel

Arthur D. “Denny” Menschel                             “ The Old Horse”
COUDERSPORT, PA---Arthur D. “Denny” Menschel, 79, a lifelong resident of Coudersport, passed away in his home with his loving family by his side on Friday, November 13, 2015, after a courageous battle with cancer.
     Born on June 8, 1936 in Buffalo, NY, he was the son of Arthur J. and Lura Jean Rees Menschel.  On September 9, 1961 in St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Coudersport, he married Edith S. “Edie” Sarginger, who survives.
     Denny was a 1954 graduate of Coudersport Joint High School. After graduation he worked a short time in stone quarries, for Western Electric and Pure Carbon Company.  For the next 34 years he owned and operated Jean Menschel’s Flowers and Gifts in downtown Coudersport, first partnering with his mother then as a sole proprietor.  His family spent many hours in the store working alongside him and other long time employees.   Wanting a change, he went to work for Thomas Maynard Construction, Coudersport, for the next 12 years, becoming an excellent woodworker and carpenter while Edith managed the store until it closed in 1993.
     Following the closing of the store he spent the next 18 years buying junk and selling antiques with Sue Greeley at Right Stuff Antiques, Coudersport, which he truly loved.  Talking and dickering with his customers was the favorite part of his job.
     As a young man Denny raced stock cars at the Roulette and Angelica raceways.  He carried that love of racing with him and became an avid fan, making trips to Daytona, Watkins Glen, and Lime Rock.  Racing was the only sport he would watch faithfully on TV and he always appreciated a nice sports car after owning a series of Triumphs and MG’s in his younger years.
     In the 1960’s he was instrumental in starting Jaycee organizations in Coudersport and surrounding towns.  At age 40, after a trip to Alaska to visit his brother Neal, he took up long distance running and was active in The Potter County Striders, a local running group, participating in multiple races and marathons.  He always grew an impressive vegetable garden and loved the outdoors where he spent many happy hours fishing, hiking and cross country skiing.  Vacations included trips out west and to Montana where he and Edie hiked mountain trails and spent hours rock hunting, bringing home many treasures to his Potter County garden.   Denny always enjoyed identifying an interesting pile of scat along the trail or chatting with other hikers.
     Denny also loved music and counted many musicians among his friends.  He and Edie always spent time in the summer at music festivals where Denny could often be found around the campfires making new friends.  
     Surviving besides his wife  are two daughters, Heidi (Marty) Balus and Melinda (John) Culbertson, both of Bozeman, Montana; two granddaughters, Amanda Balus of Buhl, Idaho and Claire Culbertson of Bozeman, MT; two brothers, Fred Menschel of Danvers, Massachusetts and Neal Menschel of Los Gatos, California; and several nieces and nephews.
     Denny was predeceased by his parents.  
     There will be no public visitation. A memorial service will be held on a date and place to be announced.
     In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Coudersport Public Library, 502 Park Avenue, Coudersport, PA 16915; to St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3 Borie Street, Coudersport, PA 16915; or to Wilmot Cancer Institute, PO Box 278996, Rochester NY 14627 (https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/cancer-institute/giving/make-a-gift.aspx)
     Denny’s family has entrusted his care to the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home, Shinglehouse, PA.