Pittsburg-----Louise Mitchell, 93, of Pittsburg, died Friday, March 13, 2015 at the Coos County Nursing Hospital.
She was born October 24, 1921 in Laconia, the daughter of Pearl and Oscar Joseph Gauthier. She was raised by her beloved grandparents, Perley and Josephine Cross, whose roots were in the North Country.
Louise and her older brother John had an idyllic childhood, living on the shores of Lake Opechee in Laconia. Although they were growing up during the Depression, Louise, her best friend Ivie, John, and their Boston cousins, all swam in the lake, went to the movies, worked in the garden, played with what toys they could make or find, and had the best childhood anybody ever had. Louise told stories about that childhood--and her grandparents, who had the patience of saints, she said--for the rest of her life, to the delight of her children and grandchildren.
In 1940, Louise graduated from Laconia High School; two years later, she married Edmund Mitchell, the love of her life. While Mitch was busy in the Navy, and WWII was raging, one job Louise held was as a "Rosie the Riveter" at a Pratt and Whitney airplane plant in Bridgeport, CT. After the War ended, she worked many interesting jobs, including the first woman inspector at a ball bearing factory in Tilton; and lab technician, inspecting all the water and milk for the City of Laconia Health Department. She was hard-working, smart, and never too busy to lend a hand.
In her spare time, she loved to paint in oils, and many of her lovely paintings grace the walls of her children's homes. Other talents included swimming (executing a perfect swan dive without a splash) and ballroom and swing dancing. She loved to knit and crochet, making everything from Scandinavian sweaters to many afghans in her later years, and she was a die-hard Red Sox fan. She was an avid reader, especially medieval mysteries; she was an expert on British and Egyptian history; and she loved dogs and cats. She traveled extensively with her husband and children by car throughout the U.S. in earlier times, and with friends and family around the world later on. Most of all, she was known for her sharp wit and hilarious stories, which will live as long as those who love her remember her.
Louise and Mitch raised their family in Laconia, camping in Pittsburg on weekends, and in Yuma, Arizona, where they later ended up retiring. In 1970, they settled in Pittsburg, where they owned and operated Edgewater Realty--the first real estate brokerage business in Pittsburg--for many years. After retirement, they spent winters in Yuma and summers in Pittsburg. After Mitch's death in 1993, Louise continued to make the flights in spring and fall, between her eastern and western homes, for over 20 years. In her last years, she spent her winters with daughter Terry in Las Vegas and summers with daughter Marsha in Pittsburg, and finally, her care was shared by daughters Marsha and Nancy in Pittsburg, assisted by other caregivers, until she moved to CCNH in 2014.
Louise is survived by four daughters: Nancy Renaudette and husband Leo of Canaan, VT; Marsha Clifford and husband Earle of Pittsburg, NH; Terry Reynard and husband David of Las Vegas, NV; and Heather Mitchell and husband Mark Amey of Clarksville, NH; eight grandchildren: Lisa Morse and husband William, Jr. of Jay, VT; Kevin Renaudette and companion Aimee Martineau of Beebe Plains, VT; Sean Clifford and wife Kristen of Austin, TX; Christopher Mitchell Small of Seal Beach, CA; Andrea Ripley of Marina, CA; Chantel Amey Randall and husband David of Kirby, VT; Dana Amey and husband William Graves of Halifax, MA; and Christen Knapp and husband Stephen of Tacoma, WA; and ten great-grandchildren: Austin Pombrio of Beebe Plains, VT; Ryan Morse of Jay, VT; Kassidy and Carmina Clifford and Madeleine Granville of Austin, TX; Andrew Ripley of Marina, CA; Donovan and Colin Mitchell Randall of Kirby, VT; and Owen and Julia Graves of Halifax, MA; one brother, John E. Gauthier, USAF (Ret.) of Laconia; her best friend since first grade, Ivie Willhite of Joplin, MO; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Edmund Mitchell, in 1993.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 1:00pm, time to greet the family will be 12:30-1:00pm at the Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, burial follow in the family lot at Union Cemetery, Academy Street, Laconia.
and a memorial celebration of her life July 18 at the Methodist church hall in Pittsburg .
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.