1919 – 2003

FARMINGTON – Winnifred Blanchard Dingley, 84, of Farmington died Wednesday morning, Dec. 17, at Sandy River Center for Health Care.

She was born March 21, 1919, in Wilton, a daughter of the late John Franklin and Annie True (Brown) Blanchard.

She married Clifford N. Oliver of Farmington in August of 1942, and together resided in Amherst, Mass., for 30 years moving to the Farmington area in 1969. He died May 1975.

During World War II, she was a secretary for the War Department, working in a section of the Pentagon when the facility was still under construction; she also worked as a secretary in the Soil Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and at the library of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

She married Dr. Dana Dingley of Farmington on Oct. 23, 1983.

She was a member of the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Wilton; and Past Worthy Matron of the Unity Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star in Amherst, Mass.

She spent summers at Weld and on Clearwater Lake and wintered for several years in Florida. She volunteered at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington. She will be remembered as a wonderful correspondent with her family and friends around the world.

In addition to her husband of 20 years she is survived by two sons, Peter N. Oliver and his wife Grace of Pittsfield, Thomas T. Oliver and his wife Kate of Wilton; a daughter, Susan Oliver Withers and her husband David of Bow, N.H.;

six grandchildren, Melody E. Oliver, Glady L. Oliver, Andrew N. Oliver, Michael T. Oliver, Sara A. Withers, Scott E. Withers; stepdaughter, Pamela D. Moore of Brunswick; stepgrandchildren, Ivan Moore, Megan Crandall; great-grandchildren, Alana Oliver, Grace Oliver, Maile Halferty, Nate Moore; niece, Anne Agan; and nephew, Paul York.

She was predeceased by her parents; and her sister, Virginia York in June.