Anna H. Woodworth

1915 – 2010

SOUTH PARIS — Anna Mary Holt Henderson Woodworth, 94, current holder of the town of Sumner’s Boston Post Cane, passed away Sunday, March 14, at Market Square Health Care Facility.

She was born in Norway (Millettville), Sept. 5, 1915, the eldest of three children born to Harold Edgar Holt and Marion Hobbs Holt. In April 1934, she married John Henderson, who passed away in August 1963, with whom she had six sons and three daughters.

In August 1986, she married Frank Lewis Woodworth, with whom she was married to for 16 years. After her first marriage, she lived in Norway, Waterford, South Paris and Welchville and moved to Black Mountain in Sumner of 1948, then to Labrador Pond in 1963.

She absolutely loved her home and up until her health declined, she maintained a beautiful lawn and beautiful rock gardens that everyone passing by enjoyed. As a resident of Sumner, she belonged to various organizations and held various offices.

She was a member of the First Universalist Church of Norway and an affiliate member of the Universalist Church Society of West Sumner, where she was clerk for 49 years, and one of the members who worked to get the church on the National Historic register.

She was secretary of Oxford County Municipal Officers Association for 13 years, a member of the Grange for more than 60 years, receiving all seven degrees and holding every office. She was the first lady selectman of Sumner and opened the town’s first official town office.

She was a former member and past president of the Sumner’s Mother’s Club, past president of the William A. Barrows Relief Corp, member of the Pleasant Pond Cemetery Association, member of Maine Bureau of the Elderly, and a member of the first board of directors of Western Maine Transportation.

She was a member of the first Project Independence and served as a paralegal for the elderly. She was a former freelance news writer for the Lewiston Sun Journal for 10 years, worked for Maine Apple Growers in Buckfield for several seasons and at Foster Manufacturing in East Wilton, until her retirement due to health reasons.

She was very interested in history and had a wide collection of history books and genealogies. She researched and authored three family genealogies, Holt, Flint and Hobbs. She was a life member of the Holt Association of America. She enjoyed her visits to Washington, D.C., to tour the numerous historical sights. She especially enjoyed visiting the Capital Building and the White House.

She also was an expert seamstress and made a lot of the family’s clothes in her early years. Later she concentrated on quilting and hand-stitched quilts for each of her nine children and others. She always seemed to be crocheting or knitting something for the family.

Her most enjoyable hobby was oil painting scenes of the countryside which she taught herself to do. Her paintings were usually on dried mushrooms or rocks as well as canvas. She was proud of the fact that at age 59, and after attending night school, she graduated from Oxford Hills High School, Class of 1974.

She is survived by five sons and three daughters, Fred and Carol Henderson of Greenwood, Edison Sr. and Rosemary Henderson of Hartford, Paul and Louise Henderson of Coventry, Conn., Quentin and Glenice Henderson of Otisfield, Dona and Clyde Brown II of Sumner, Sara and William Heskett of Manassas, Va., Dennis Sr. and Nancy Henderson of West Paris and Martha A. Damon and partner, Christopher Tripp of South Paris; a daughter-in-law, Joan Henderson of South Paris; 34 grandchildren; more than 50 great-grandchildren; several great-great-grandchildren; her brother, Leonas Holt of Maine Veterans Home in South Paris; sisters, Edith Gardner of Norway Rehabilitation and Living Center and Dolly Verrill of South Paris; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents: her husbands; oldest son, Thomas Henderson Sr.; son-in-law, Roland (PeeWee) Damon; daughter-in-law, Mary Palman Henderson; brothers-in-law, Larry Verrill and Howard Gardner; grandson, William Henderson; a great-grandson, Jarrod Henderson; and her beloved cocker spaniel, Buffy.