Category: Uncategorized

Mary Frances Grace

from the March 5, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Orange, NH–Mary Frances Grace, 76, died Saturday, February 22, 1997 at Genesis Elder Care in Lebanon, NH following a long illness. She was born in Lynn, MA September 28, 1920, the daughter of Dr. Frank & Edith (Lister) Mitchell. She attended schools in Grafton and Canaan, NH. She had lived in this area most of her life and had been a member of the Mt. Cardigan Square Dance Club. She was married to Elwin H. Grace–her husband of 56 years–in 1941. She was a homemaker all of her life and was dedicated to her family.

Friends called at the Ricker Funeral Home, Route 4 in Enfield on Tuesday evening from 7-9 p.m. Funeral services were conducted Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Canaan United Methodist Church. Burial will be at a later date in the Canaan Street Cemetery.

Memorial contributions in memory of Mrs. Grace may be made to: Mascoma Home Health Care, Main St, Canaan, NH.

Survivors include: her husband, Elwin H. Grace of Orange; a daughter, Jean Ollis of Enfield; a daughter, Linda Lashua of Canaan; her twin sister, Jeanne Evans of Canaan; a sister, Dottie Lull of Potter Place, NH; a sister, Bernice Houze of Franklin; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her brother, Allan Mitchell.

Lane Dwinell

from the April 2, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Hanover, NH–Lane Dwinell, 90, of Hanover, the only person in New Hampshire history to hold the offices of House Speaker, Senate President and Governor in successive terms, died Thursday, March 27th, 1997, in his home at Kendal at Hanover.

He was born Nov. 14, 1906 in Newport, VT, the son of Dean and Ruth (Lane) Dwinell. He attended schools in Newport and Pasadena, CA before moving to Lebanon for his senior year in high school. He graduated from Lebanon High School in 1924, from Dartmouth College in 1928 and from Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 1929.

In 1932 he married Elizabeth Cushman of Lebanon, and they lived for a time in New York City where Gov. Dwinell was employed in the Treasurer’s office of General Motors Corp. from 1929 to 1936. They returned to Lebanon in 1936 when Mr. Dwinell joined his father in Carter & Churchill Co., the family-owned clothing manufacturer that was later known as Profile Skiwear. He was actively involved in that business for 31 years, most of them as Chief Executive Officer and it grew to become a nationally recognized maker of skiing apparel.

In 1946 and 1947 he was president of the New Hampshire Manufacturer’s Association. He was also involved over the years as a director of the Northern Railroad, Granite State Electric Co., Currier & Co. in Lebanon, the Lebanon Industrial Development Authority, the New England Council Vermont Motor Inns, and the New Hampshire Business Development Corporation. He was a longtime trustee of Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, and also served as a trustee of Colby-Sawyer College in New London, Dartmouth College, and the University of New Hampshire. He was given honorary degrees from the later two, as well as Suffolk University and New England College.

He was associated with the National Bank of Lebanon (now Citizens Bank) for more than 30 years beginning in 1947, when he was elected to the Board of Directors. He was chairman of the board from 1968 to 1979, during which time the bank became the first in the state to open a branch office.

He became active in local affairs shortly after his return to Lebanon, winning election to the town budget committee and serving as a Special Justice of the Lebanon Municipal Court.

His entry into state politics came when he was elected to represent Lebanon at the 1948 Constitutional Convention. He was also elected to the legislature that year, by which time he had already served four years on the state Board of Education.

He chaired the House of Ways and Means Committee in his first term, and in his second he was elected Speaker. Following that term, he was elected in 1952 to the stat Senate, where he was chosen President. He followed up that two-year stint by winning the Governor’s office in November 1954, and was re-elected in 1956.

During his gubernatorial tenure he applied private sector principles to state government by tightening accounting procedures and gave state employees healthy raises to diminish excessive turnover. He also signed a bill that provided state aid for school construction, and another that allowed groups of school districts to band together to form cooperative districts. Under that bill, districts that banded together were given extra money for school construction.

The state’s interstate highway system also was laid out during his tenure, and he also hosted President Dwight D. Eisenhower, which set the stage for the next phase of his career.

After leaving state government in 1959, Gov. Dwinell was appointed by President Eisenhower to be Assistant Secretary of State for Administration, overseeing the department’s budget, personnel, and embassy operations, a job that took him and Mrs. Dwinell to U.S. embassies around the world.

He left that post in 1961 and returned to Carter & Churchill, but re-entered the federal government in 1969, when President Richard M. Nixon appointed him an administrator of the Agency for International Development. That job also entailed much foreign travel, and he held it until 1971. He also was appointed by Nixon in 1971 to the Board of Foreign Scholarships, and reappointed in 1974 by President Ford.

In 1972 he was chairman of President Nixon’s re-election campaign in New Hampshire, and Nixon’s official announcement of his intention to seek a second term was made in the form of a personal letter to Gov. Dwinell, which he was authorized to make public.

He also served as chairman of President Ronald Reagan’s New Hampshire campaigns in 1980 and 1984.

His involvement in politics at the state and federal levels led to his attending seven Republican National Conventions from 1952 to 1988. He chaired the New Hampshire delegation to those conventions in 1956, 1968, 1972, 1980 and 1984.

He and Mrs. Dwinell underwrote many community causes during their more than 60 years in Lebanon, including a wing of the Lebanon Library, the pool at the Carter-Witherall Center, and the publishing of a new Lebanon history in 1994.

He was a member of the Lebanon Rotary Club, Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, Sons of American Revolution, Sons of Colonial Wars, Moose and Grange.

He was predeceased by a sister, Eleanor Boreilla, and his wife Elizabeth C. Dwinell, who died on Oct.29, 1996. He is survived by nieces and nephews.

Memorial services following a private burial will be held on Monday, March 31, at 11 am in the First Congregational Church of Lebanon. The Rev. Richard N. Slater will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: The Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, 10 Alice Peck Day Drive , Lebanon, NH 03766. Arrangements are under the direction of the Ricker Funeral Home of Lebanon, NH.

Roger C. Foster

from the April 9, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Enfield, NH–Roger C. Foster, 88, died Wednesday April 2, 1997 at the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, NH. He was born in Enfield, NH Oct. 28, 1908, the son of the late Walter & Annie (Clough) Foster. A lifelong Enfield resident he attended local schools. He had worked on the family farm for years helping to raise cattle and poultry. He loved the out-of-doors and for most of his life he was a self-employed woodsman. Well known throughout the area for his generosity, he could often be found doing errands for many area residents. He enjoyed visiting his friends and neighbors, and caring for his many cats.

There will be no calling hours. Graveside services will be held in the spring in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Enfield. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his memory may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are under the direction of the Ricker Funeral Home of Lebanon.

Survivors include: a niece, Harriet Stevens of Canaan, NH; a niece, Eleanor Anderson of Canaan, NH; a nephew, Harry Foster of West Willington, CT. He was preceded in death by a brother, Harry Foster and a nephew, Eugene Foster.

Sarah Elizabeth Nylund

from the May 14, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Enfield, NH–Sarah Elizabeth Nylund, 13, died suddenly Friday, May 9, 1997 at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. She was born in Lebanon on Feb. 25, 1984; the daughter of Thomas W. and Helen F. (Palmer) Nylund. A lifelong resident of Enfield, she attended the Enfield Village School and was a 7th grade student at the Indian River School in Canaan. She was an avid animal lover and inspired to become a veterinarian. She enjoyed spending time with her dog Lucy. Sarah loved swimming and rollerblading. She volunteered many hours helping her father at Enfield Lions Club activities. She was a dedicated Green Bay Packer fan. She loved life and family, and enjoyed the closeness of friends, especially her very best friend, Jaci.

Sarah was an accomplished water skier and was currently the NH State Champion for Girls Division IV. She was recently selected for the U.S. Junior Development Water Ski Team. She was a member of the NH Water Ski Assoc.; The American Water Ski Assoc.; and the Maine State Water Ski Federation.

Friends may call at the Ricker Funeral Home, 56 School St, Lebanon, NH on Tuesday evening, May 13th, from 6-9 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. in the LaSalette Chapel on Route 4A in Enfield. Burial will follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Enfield. Memorial contributions in memory of Sarah may be made to: The NH Water Ski Association, PO Box 1802, Concord, NH 03302.

Survivors include: Parents, Thomas W. and Helen F. (Palmer) Nylund, Enfield, NH; Brother, Brian Nylund, Georgetown, TX; Paternal grandparents, Walter & Louise Nylund, Enfield; Niece, Lily Frances Nylund, Georgetown, TX; Several Aunts-Uncles-Cousins; God Parents, Clayton and Donna Hutchins, Lebanon, NH.

Arrangements handled by Ricker Funeral Home, Lebanon, NH.

Althea King Decato

from the May 14, 1997

Lebanon, NH–Althea King Decato, 80, passed away on April 28, 1997 at the Alice Peck Day Extended Care Facility in Lebanon, NH. The daughter of Rolland Delancy King and Josephine Segrid Monell, she was born in Canaan, NH on December 15,1916. She attended Canaan schools and was a graduate of Canaan High School. She later graduated from the Katherine Gibbs School in New York City. She was married to Gleason C. Decato, Sr. in January of 1938. Mr. Decato died in 1987. She had been a resident of Canaan most of her life and had been employed by the Canaan Reporter Newspaper. In 1976 she moved to Lebanon and was employed as a sales clerk at Currier & Company of Lebanon until the stores closing. She was a member of the Canaan Women’s Club, The United Methodist Women, and had sung in the church choir. While in Lebanon, she attended the First Baptist Church.

There were no calling hours. Funeral services were held at the United Methodist Church in Canaan with burial following in the Wells Cemetery in Canaan.

Survivors include: a son, Thomas P. Decato of Lebanon; a son, Gleason C. Decato Jr. of Orange; a daughter, Priscilla Boissoneault of Fairfax, VT; a daughter, Alicia Lowe of Hyde Park, VT; a daughter, Penelope F. Bagalio of Barre, VT; a sister, Lily Clark of Lucerne Valley, CA; 11 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were made by the Ricker Funeral Home in Lebanon.

David A. Hart

from the May 14, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Kansas City, MO–David A. Hart, 46, passed away April 21, 1997, at Research Medical Center. Memorial services will be 7 pm Monday, April 28, at the Good Samaritan Project, 3030 Walnut, Kansas City, MO. Memorial contributions may be made to the Good Samaritan Project.

David was born March 5, 1951 in Austin, TX. He was a graduate of Travis High School Austin, TX, and Austin Community College. He served as a Corps Man in the Navy. He was employed by the Austin School for the Deaf, Watts Regulator, Canaan, NH, and was most recently employed Transilwrap Company, Inc. He was an active volunteer with Good Samaritan Project. He loved to paint, garden, and fish in his spare time. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his life partner, Harry McDonald; siblings, Richard Hart, Sandy Hart, and Kenny Riordin, all of Austin, TX; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends.

Louise Irish Tobyne

From the November 24, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Canaan, NH–Louise Irish Tobyne, 73, died peacefully on November 15, 1997, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH.

She was born on August 17, 1924, in Wolfeboro, the dauhter of Col. Robert Jasper and Miriam (Furber) Irish.

She was raised in Wolfeboro and had spent 35 years as a resident of Meredith before moving back to Wolfeboro in 1992. She was a graduate of Brewster Academy and an amunma of the University of NH. She had worked as a secretary for various businesses and was formerly employed by Annalee Dolls.

She was a member of the Meredith Congregational Church. She was a past matron of Ellacoya Chapter 43, O.E.S., Meredith, and a former member of the Warren Chapter 20, O.E.S., Wolfeboro. She had also been a member of the Phi Mu Sorority of UNH and a member of the Winnipesaukee Chapter of D.A.R. She had served on the Meredith Bicentennial Committee and was a member of the Wolfeboro Historical Society.

She was a World War II Army Veteran, having served in the Pentagon.

She had been living in Canaan with her daughter’s family, Chris and John Dow, and with her son’s family David and Sylvia Detcher of Meredith for the past four months.

Family members include her husband Max H. Tobyne of Leeds, MA; two sons, David E. Detscher of Meredith, NH, and Dwight I. Detscher of Las Vegas, NV; two daughters, Chris D. Dow of Canaan and Lynn D. Boyle of Centreville, VA; eight grandchildren, a great-grandchild, Madison C. Dow, who was one of Louise’s family members with whom she joyfully spent her last evening; a brother, Dr. Edwin F. Irish of Germantown, MD; two sisters, Catherine I. Dillon of Lewiston, ID and Janet I. Noland of Meredith.

Calling hours were held in the Mayhew Funeral Home, Meredith. Funeral services were held in the Meredith Congregational Church on Wednesday, November 19th, at 11:00 a.m. The Rev. James Bolin officiated. A spring burial will be held at Lakeview Cemetery, Wolfeboro. Memorial donations may be made to the Wolfeboro Historical Society, Box 106C, Wolfeboro, NH 03894.

C. Dana Christy

From the December 8, 1997 issue of The Country Chronicle

Canaan, NH–C. Dana Christy, 84, died Wednesday, December 3, 1997 at his home in West Canaan, NH. He was born in Westerly, RI July 1, 1913, the son of the late Bernard J. & Jessie (Smith) Christy. He was a grduate of Westerly High School-Class of 1931, and had played Semi-Pro Baseball for th Westerly Hilltoppers. He had been employeed by NEES for 44 years working in CT, RI, and MA and retiring from Granite State Electric in 1978. He had served in the NH Legislature for 14 years where he was a member and Vice Chairman of the Small Business and Consumer Affairs Committee. Mr. Christy was a WWII Veteran of the U.S.Navy and had served in the Pacific onboard the USS Palawan- one of the first ships to enter Sasebo Bay at the time of the Japenese surrender. He was active as a 4-H Leader over 40 years where he was a past President of the 4-H Foundation of NH; was on the State International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE); was a past President of the 4-H Leaders Assoc.; and received the 1973 National 4-H Citation for Volunteer Service to Community, County, State and Nation. A resident of Canaan, NH since 1950, Mr. Christy was a charter member of the Canaan Lions Club; a 50 year Mason and member of the Social Summit Lodge #56 of Canaan; and a member of the American Legion Guyer-Carigan Post #22 of Lebanon, NH. He attended the First Congregational Church of Lebanon where he was a member of the Christian Board of Education and was a Sunday school teacher for 10 years. He was married to his wife of 58 years, Esther (Hamilton) on October 21, 1939.

Friends called at the Ricker Funeral Home, 56 School St., Lebanon, NH Friday evening from 7-9 p.m. Funeral services were held Saturday morning at 11 a.m. in the First Congregational Church of Lebanon, NH. The Rev. Richard N. Slater officiated. Burial will be in the spring in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Clinton, MA. Memorial contributions in memory of Mr. Christy may be made to The NH 4-H Foundation, Moiles House, University of NH, Durham, NH 03824.

Survivors include: wife, Esther (Hamilton) Christy of Canaan, NH; daughters, Carol Jane Rickauer of Frisco, CO and Elizabeth Dianne Christy of Dover, NH; a son, John Hamilton Christy of Sparta, WI; a brother, Ralph Smith Christy of Westerly, RI; seven grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; 4 nieces and 1 nephew.

Holly Sharyn Banley-Bill

from the December 22, 1997 issue of The Countrty Chronicle

Enfield, NH–Holly Sharyn Banley-Bill, infant daughter of Ritchard L. Bill and Barbara Banley, was stillborn Friday morning, December 12, 1997 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH due to complications during pregnancy.

She leaves her parents of Enfield; 3 sisters, Rebecca, Rachel, and Brenna Banley-Bill of Enfield, NH; paternal grandfather, Moses Bill Jr. of Enfield; maternal grandmother, Ruth Ann Ramsdell of Alfred, ME; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

Private services will be conducted at the convenience of the family.

Memorial contributions may be made to: David’s House, PO Box 660, Lebanon, NH 03766.

The Ricker Funeral Home of Lebanon, NH is in charge of arrangements.

Laura E. (Hill) Littlefield

from the January 5, 1998 issue of The Country Chronicle

Grafton, NH–Laura E. (Hill) Littlefield, 94, of Grafton and Lebanon Genesis Eldercare Network, died December 27, 1997 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH while surrounded by love with her family members. Born on November 19, 1903 in Bristol, NH the daughter of William and Jennie (Sawyer) Hill, she was married to Fred S. Littlefield on November 28, 1927. She had a daughter, Dorothy Jennie (Duefield) on June 21, 1929. Both her husband and daughter have predeceased her. She was well knwn to the community for her old fashioned cooking style, love of family and friends alike, enjoying a good dance with plenty of singing of songs, the enjoyment of making a quilt in earlier years with her daughter, granddaughter, sister, Margaret and friends. She had an exceptional ability of embroidery which lives on in her past works of quilts, scarfs, pillow cases, etc. which family members and friends hold dear to their hearts in the memory of Laura. Mrs. Littlefield’s outdoor activities include fishing and a love of birds and all wildlife, working in the family garden and then canning of vegetables, pruning and caring for her flowers, especially her old fashioned wild roses, which can be seen each and every summer. Her favorite activity in her later years was to sit on her porch and visit with friends and relatives as they stopped by. A devout Catholic, Mrs. Littlefield, while living at home was visited by Sister Mary whom Laura and family members have the warmest regard for. She was living at the home of her son-in-law, Harold E. Duefield, Jr. and was attended by her grand-daughter-in-law, Ruth Cushing, with love and consideration before moving to Lebanon Genesis Eldercare Network. Mrs. Littlefield was also predeceased by sisters, Mary Jennie Hill, Madeline Mary Holmes, Alice Smith and brothers, William Jr., Albert, George and Joseph. Surviving sisters are Ida Young of Hampton Falls, NH, Beatrice Rollins of Plymouth, NH and Margaret Warcup of Grafton, NH who has been sharing a room with her sister, Laura, enjoying discussions and memories of their childhood and adult life while under the care of the Lebanon Genesis Eldercare Network. She is also survived by her son-in-law Harold E. Duefield, Jr., grandchildren Harold E. Duefield the 3rd, Frederick S. Duefield and Laura Ann Duefield all of Grafton, NH; great-grandchildren Philip E. Rowe (Duefield), Christy Lynn Woodard of W. Lebanon, NH, Amy Lyn Duefield of Grafton, NH and Daniel E. Duefield of Enfield, NH; one great-great-granddaughter, Samantha Ann Dole of W. Lebanon, NH; nieces, nephews and cousins; all of whom are going to miss Laura’s wonderful smile, sense of humor and devotion to family and friends. Friends called at the Chadwick Funeral Home, 174 Main St., New London on Tuesday, December 30th from 7-8:30 p.m. with a service that followed from 8:30-9 p.m. Graveside services will also be held in Pine Grove Cemetery in Grafton, NH in the spring.