AUDREY HARTSHORN DEAN

Audrey Hartshorn Dean enjoying life at 99 years of age.

For many years, I have corresponded with a lovely, gentle lady. Today, she resides in a nursing facility in Riverside, near Providence, Rhode Island. She is the last of her Hartshorn line and with her passing, a major Hartshorn line will pass with her. Her next birthday will be her 100th. She is as vibrant and in control of her faculties and destiny as most of those half her age.

I'm sure many of you out there share portions of her lineage. It is:

Audrey¹⁰, Mervin Alanson⁹, John Charles Fremont⁸, Alanson⁷, Colburn⁶, Ebenezer^5,4,3, Joseph², Thomas HARTSHORN¹.

Audrey's line, from Colburn Hartshorn, has distinguished itself in just about every field of endeavor possible. This line settled in Lunenburg and Guildhall, Vermont after 1789 and were renown in every American war since the Revolution. They were politicians, educators, entrepreneurs, lawyers, judges, soldiers and made an everlasting mark on society.

Audrey celebrated her 100th birthday on August 16, 2008. This would be her last birthday as she passed on nine months later.

DEAN, ELSIE AUDREY (HARTSHORN), age 100, formerly of Carousel Drive, Riverside, died on June 23, 2009 at the Grace Barker Nursing Home, Warren, where she was a resident. She was the wife of the late Lawrence H. Dean.

Born in Rumford, she was the daughter of the late Mervin and Elsie (Ott) Hartshorn.

Mrs. Dean was a member of the former 2nd Baptist Church of East Providence for 72 years and was the Soprano soloist for 18 years. She is survived by a son; Myrle L. Dean of Riverside, two grandchildren; Kerri Dean Bernard and Steven Dean, both of East Providence and four great-grandchildren.

A private funeral service will be held on Friday June 26, 2009 in the W. Raymond Watson Funer Al Home, 350 Willett Avenue, Riverside. Burial will follow in Forest Chapel Cemetery, Barrington. Calling hours and flowers are respectfully omitted. Contributions in Elsie's memory to the Grace Barker Nursing Home Activities Fund, 54 Barker Avenue, Warren, RI 02885 would be deeply appreciated.

Derick S. Hartshorn - ©2008
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