Flora Mary Riddell

WILLIAMSTOWN - Flora Mary (Miller) Riddell died February 8, 2016 at her home in Williamstown, VT due to complications of old age. She was born on September 10, 1927 in Greensboro, VT, the second daughter of Alice L. (Nutting) and William. W. Miller. She graduated from Greensboro H.S. and attended as many reunions as possible. She met Carl D. Riddell and they were married on June 29, 1946 in a double ceremony with her older sister. Mary (as she was commonly known in Williamstown) became a farmer’s wife with all that entails. Mary and Carl had five children: Carolyn A. (Howard) Peake; Elizabeth J. (Michael) Persons; James A. (Valerie) Riddell; Susan E. (Kenneth) Robbins; and Cindy L. (Steve) Endersen.
Mary was an active member, held many offices, and was PWM of the O.E.S. Charity Chapter, No. 57 in Williamstown. She made many pies and batches of donuts for local fundraisers in town.
Many Sundays she played piano for the local Methodist and Congregational Churches. She loved music from big bands to Lawrence Welk to Country music and especially musicals. Mary loved flowers and always had them indoors and out. She fed birds all winter and hummingbirds in the summer.
Mary and Carl hosted and had visitors from around the world. Some of the countries ‘touched’ by the Farmer’s Wife: England, Rhodesia (South Africa), Scotland, Argentina, India, Columbia, Australia, and Israel. In their middle years they would take their children on camping trips as far away as Detroit and Prince Edward Island and many places in between. In later years they traveled together to the corners of the U.S. as well as to Scotland and Ireland. All roads led to and from the farm on South Hill.
Mary loved shopping, crossword puzzles and a cup of tea. She liked to tan while driving tractor in the hayfields in summertime. She would sing and play the piano at home and sometimes the violin. She and Carl worked with 4H youth and taught gun safety to local children. Mary was a very good shot, winning some local shoots. Various dogs – from Midnight to Kia to Charlie – were her constant and loyal companions.
Mary worked off the farm as the Assistant Town Clerk for a while in Williamstown. As a Farmer’s Wife she helped feed cows and calves, cleaned milk room equipment and the barn. She would cut seed potatoes in the spring, help dig potatoes in the fall and grade them all winter. She did all this and managed to tend the house, mend clothes and feed the family. Mary started college at UVM but went back to the farm to help Carl. She was his constant caregiver in his later years and was with him when he died.
She is survived by her youngest sister, five children, ten grandchildren (Jesse & Sarah Persons, Matthew, Lindsey, & James Riddell, Brandy (Matthew) and Benjamin (Alanea) Robbins, Heidi, Kelly, & Amos Endersen), three great-grandchildren (Matthew McHugh Jr. and Austin & Colton Robbins), and many nieces and nephews along with special family friends. She was predeceased by her parents, husband and older sister.
Memorial contributions may be made to Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice, 600 Granger Rd., Barre, VT 05641-5369, www.cvhhh.org. An internment and memorial service will be held in the summer at a time to be announced.