Myrtle Edna (Newell) Feary

In Loving Memory of Myrtle Edna (Newell) Feary Myrtle Edna (Newell) Feary, formerly of Cornish, NH, died January 22, 2009 at the Riverview Nursing Home in Rich Creek, VA. She was the wife of the late Arnold Weldon Feary. Born November 14, 1907, in Medway, MA, she was the daughter of the late Melvin and Mae Louella (Harris) Newell. She was 101 years old. She was a remarkable, adventuresome woman with many interests throughout her long life. A resident of Cornish for 55 years, she was active in the local Planning Board, the Board of Adjustments, the County Fair Committee, Mother/Daughter Club, and the Cornish Garden Club. She passed along her vast knowledge of crafts by teaching younger people to hook and braid rugs, cane chairs, stencil trays and lampshades and dry and arrange dried flowers. She also enjoyed painting with watercolors. Not one to shy away from a challenge, she learned to drive in her 50s, had many good times with dear friends and family members and never got too old for a practical joke. She leaves a legacy of innate curiosity and intellectual engagement. She raised three accomplished children who began their educational lives in a one-room schoolhouse and went on to achieve Bachelors’, Masters’ and Doctoral degrees. She will continue to live in her family’s hearts every time they enjoy listening to classical music, reading good books, watching birds, rescuing stray dogs and cats, gardening and eating true Yankee macaroni and cheese, brown bread, baked beans and dessert of any kind. She is survived by two daughters, Mary-Jane (Feary) Rand and her husband Nahum of Las Vegas, NV and Barbara (Feary) Knicely and her late husband Gerald of Peterstown, W VA. She leaves daughter-in-law Vaughana (Henderson) Feary of Delaware Township, NJ, as well as four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren: granddaughter Yardena Montague-Rand and her partner Nancy and daughter Rachel of Cumberland, RI; grandson Christopher Feary of Miami, FL; grandson Jayme Feary of Jackson Hole, WY; grandson Thomas Feary and his wife Tracey and daughters Taylor and Hale of Richmond, VA; and great-granddaughters Amy Feary of San Jose, CA and Amber Feary of Houston, TX. She was the mother of the late Thomas W. Feary and grandmother to the late Dwan Feary. In a tribute to her interest in people and the world around her, she will be sorely missed by her family, but also by her many caregivers. The family would like to acknowledge the kindness and generosity of spirit that characterized those who cared, shopped, landscaped, cooked, visited, cleaned and laughed with her in New Hampshire and at the Riverview Nursing Home, who all gave her so much love and support. Thank you. A memorial service will be held in the spring in New Hampshire. Donations can be sent to the Cornish Fire Department, Cornish, NH, 03745 or your local Humane Society. If you would like to send your condolences to the family via Givens Funeral Home, simply sign the Memorial Guestbook by clicking the link.  Your condolences will be printed out and given to the family.