Obituaries from The Rockingham News, Plaistow, New Hampshire, from January 26, 2001
http://www.seacoastonline.com

     Copyright retained by the newspaper. Permission received to include in
the USGenWeb Archives.

Ruth A. Curtis

     KENNEBUNK, Maine -- Ruth Alden Curtis, 79, died Saturday, Jan. 20,
2001, at Kennebunk Nursing Center after fighting Alzheimer's disease and
colon cancer.
     She was born in Gorham, Maine, an 11th generation descendant of
Mayflower passenger John Alden.
     She was valedictorian of her class at Gorham High School in 1938 and
of Gorham Normal School in 1942, having skipped two grades.
     Mrs. Curtis taught elementary school in Sudbury and Boxford, Mass.
After her marriage she served as her husband's administrative assistant,
traveling all over Europe visiting schools in his capacity as dean of
student affairs and vice president of international affairs at Boston
University. At the beginning of their tenure the university had 800 foreign
students. As a result of their groundwork the university today has more
than 8000 foreign students.
     She was successful during the 1950-60's at winning jingle and slogan
writing contests and won many prizes for her efforts.
     She inherited the diary of fifth generation descendent Austin Alden,
who lived during the American Revolution and served in the French and
Indian War, receiving as payment the land grant in Gorham where she was
born. In high school she began work on having a transcription of the diary
published. Completing her work after her retirement, it was published in
1986.
     Last fall Mrs. Curtis and her daughters and granddaughter walked in
the Kennebunk Memory Walk that raised money for Alzheimer's research.
     She enjoyed reading, stamp and coin collection, organic gardening,
sewing, weaving, knitting, needlework, enameling, and photography.
     The widow of Staton Russell Curtis, her husband of 52 years who died
in 1995, she is survived by two daughters, Martha Curtis of Old Orchard
Beach, Maine, and Sharon Curtis Phelan of Kingston; one granddaughter; one
brother, John Alden of Gorham; and one sister, Ann Alden Kilgore of So.
Portland, Maine.
     Memorial services will be held Friday at 2:30 p.m. in United Baptist
Church, 318 Main St., Saco, Maine. There was a memorial service held
Thursday Exeter Congregational Church, Exeter. Spring burial will be in
Pine Grove Cemetery, Falmouth, Maine.
     Memorial donations may be made to the National Alzheimer's Foundation,
Maine Chapter, 163 Lancaster St., Suite 160, Portland, ME 04101.
     Arrangements were by the Dennett, Craig & Pate Funeral Home, Saco, ME.

Gertrude L. Parshley

     BRENTWOOD -- Gertrude L. Parshley, 84, of Crawley Falls Road, died
Thursday, Jan. 18, 2001, in Exeter Hospital.
     She was born May 27, 1916, in Boston, the daughter of the late George
O. and Gertrude S. (Jones) Hemenway and had resided in the Brentwood area
for 45 years.
     Mrs. Parshley owned and operated a ceramics business from her home for
22 years. She had previously been employed by Wise Shoe Co. and Alrose Shoe
Co.
     She was a member of Brentwood Baptist Church where she a member of the
Ladies Circle and taught Sunday school and was a member of the Brentwood
Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary.
     The widow of Sidney Parshley, she is survived by three daughters,
Sharon Copeland of Brentwood, Susan Parshley of Hampton and Barbara Jackson
of Groton, Conn.; three sons, Robert Parshley of Kingston, George MacDonald
of Brentwood and Carl Runge of Florida; 17 grandchildren; and 17
great-grandchildren.
     She was predeceased by one daughter, Shirley Kane.
     Funeral services were held Tuesday in Brentwood Baptist Church with
the Rev. Gary Andy officiating. Spring burial will be in Brentwood
Cemetery.
     Memorial donations may be made to Brentwood Baptist Church, North
Road, Brentwood, NH 03833 or to Seacoast Hospice, 10 Hampton Road, Exeter,
NH 03833.
     Arrangements were by the Brewitt Funeral Home, Exeter.