Lois Ashton Richardson Hastings

She was born in Somerville, MA to Clifford Tower and Elsie (Ashton) Richardson. She grew up in the Somerville and Marblehead areas graduating Somerville High School as a member of the National Honor Society with the Class of 1938 She was a 1942 graduate of the University of New Hampshire.

She married Raymond I. Hastings, in a ceremony at her family’s home in Marblehead, on September 5, 1942. During WWII they resided in Quincy, MA and moved to Gilsum in 1946. She was a long time resident of that town having lived there for 63 years.

She was a member of the American Association of University Women, a Deaconess at the Gilsum Congregational Church and was active in both the Keene Garden Club and the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery on the campus of Keene State College. She was selected as Gilsum’s citizen of the year in 2004.

Lois was a lifelong lover of books and writing. She promoted both of these passions by serving as a trustee at the Gilsum Public Library for 44 years and as an Assistant Librarian at the Keene Public Library where she retired with 17 years of service.

Mrs. Hastings was a tremendously active person most of her life, enjoying swimming, skiing, snow shoeing, tennis, hiking, and sailing. Much of her youth was spent on the waters off the coast of Marblehead and at her family cottage on Lake Mooselookmeguntic in the Rangeley Lakes Region of Maine. She also enjoyed gardening and in retirement travelled extensively with her husband throughout Europe, North and South America and the Caribbean.

She is survived by her children: Stephen Hastings of Claremont, Thomas Hastings and his wife Karen of Gilsum and Ann Memmesheimer and her husband Henry Charles Memmesheimer Jr., of Keene; a step sister: Merry Morley and her husband Dean of Moultonborough, NH; six grandchildren: Heather Hastings, Stephanie Hastings, Timothy Hastings, Henry Charles Memmesheimer III, Christopher Memmesheimer and Gretchen Comerford; 9 great grandchildren as well as four nieces.

She was pre deceased by her husband of 66 years Raymond I. Hastings, her brother Donald Richardson and her sister Janet Anderson.

Services for Mrs. Hastings will be held at 11 AM on Saturday August 2, 2014 at the Gilsum Congregational Church. There are no public calling hours and burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in the name of Lois R. Hastings to the Gilsum Congregational Church, PO Box 86 Gilsum, NH 03448.

Fletcher Funeral Home and Cremation Services, (www.fletcherfuneralhome.com) 33 Marlboro St, Keene has been entrusted with the arrangements.