Mrs. Helen C. Thayer Obituary

Fell down stairs

May, 1940

NEW IPSWICH

Correspondent: Mrs. Bessie Cushing

Tel. Greenville 58-12

Death of Mrs. Helen C. Thayer.

New Ipswich and vicinity was stunned last Friday upon hearing of the sudden and untimely death of Mrs. Helen (Caldwell) Thayer, 29 years old, as a result of a fractured skull and other injuries received when she fell down a flight of stairs at her home. She was taken, unconscious, to Peterboro hospital but died before reaching the hospital.

She was the daughter of John and Julia (Blodgett) Caldwell, born in Fitchburg October 28, 1910, and the wife of Philip C. Thayer of the Allen-A Company, the son of Walter S. and Anne (Chandler) Thayer of this town.

Mrs. Thayer was a most prominent and promising young matron, charming and talented, possessed of a fine trained voice and was a singer of note, singing at the different organizations, and a member of the choir of the Congregational church. She graduated from Appleton Academy. She would have been elected president of the P. Т. А., which meeting was to be held this week but has now been cancelled; vice president of the Social Benevolent Society, member of the Grange and Greenville Woman's Club, and a member of Christ church in Fitchburg.

She is survived by her husband and four beautiful children, the oldest 10 and the youngest six, William Adams Thayer, Mary, Nancy and Stephanie, all of New Ipswich; her parents; a sister, Mrs. Marion Coughlin of Nyack, N. Y.; and three brothers, Charles W. of Exeter, John A. of Lowell, and Wesley Caldwell of Allston.

Mrs. Thayer with her beautiful character and accomplishments was filling a place in the community which will be left void for a long time.

The funeral was held Sunday in the Congregational church with Mr. Clapp, the pastor, officiating. Archie Eaton, who was in the class at Appleton with Mrs. Thayer, was organist. Ushers were David Quinn and Walter S. Thayer, 2nd. The bearers were brothers of the deceased, Wesley, Charles and John Caldwell, also Ernest Berkeley and Arthur S. Thayer. A profusion of beautiful flowers flanked the altar and extended two-thirds of the way across the front of the auditorium. The church was filled to capacity and people from all walks in life were there showing to an extent that esteem in which Mrs. Thayer was held. Many friends were present from out of town. The funeral was in charge of Mr. Lavery, the undertaker from Greenville. Burial was in the family lot in the village cemetery.

Gould House (Main Street)

James Roger diary entry

10th July 1913

Cloudy but no rain; warm wind southwest. David at Barretts’. I picked four fowls. Mrs. Knowlton washing today. Brown Bros. called for chickens at night. Got Hall ready for Grange. Not many there; closed at 10 P.m. Got letters from May and Hamish.

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