AVIS NEWHALL ADAMS

1896-1996

Avis Newhall Adams died on October 26, 1996, at the age of 100, in Beverly, Massachusetts, after a brief illness following a stroke.

She was born on September 1, 1896, in Lynn, Massachusetts, where her ancestors were among the first colonists in 1630. Her parents were John Breed Newhall and Gertrude Jane Cutler. She attended the Lynn public schools and Garland College (now part of Simmons College) and worked for the Saturday Evening Post prior to her marriage to the late Eugene Gerald Adams.

She loved and excelled at outdoor activities. An early alpine skier (before there were ski lifts) and an avid mountaineer, both in the United States and in Europe, she was a member of the American Alpine Club and the Appalachian Mountain Club, and was a vigorous walker until her 90s. She traveled extensively with her elder sister for many years.

A born optimist, modest in her own needs, her joyful spirit and enterprise were infectious.

She was a long-time Girl Scout leader in her native Lynn and then in Bellows Falls, Vermont, where she and her husband lived. She made their summer home in Sunapee, New Hampshire, a much anticipated vacation center for her extended family (they had no children) with a Lilliputian fairy village in the woods and mysterious notes to the young from Queen Mab (supposedly delivered by dragonfly messengers) suggesting projects.

She continued her parents’ interest in genealogical matters, including the Breed Family Association, but her main focus was on her 12 nephews and nieces and their families. Memorial gifts may be made to Bellows Falls Historical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 498, Bellows Falls, VT 05101.

John B. Newhall