Dorothy (Denham) Farwell, 82, of Adams House, 1168 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA died February 9, 2003 at home. Married to Joseph W. Farwell, Jr., at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church on September 30, 1939, they had been married for 40 years at the time of his death in 1980. Born in Charles River, MA, on January 30, 1921, the daughter of John F. Denham, Sr., and Mabel (Nickerson) Denham she spent much of her life in Mattapoisett, MA., and Bedford, MA., where she lived for 40 years before moving to Fall River in 1993.
A graduate of Fairhaven High School, Class of 1939, she was a life-long volunteer. As a member of Mattapoisett Grange #215, Pomona Grange and Massachusetts State Grange, she served as a Juvenile Grange Deputy for the SE Massachusetts/Rhode Island region. During her time in Bedford she was a Girl Scout troop leader. With her late husband, she chaired Red Feather, United Way and American Red Cross fund raisers. In 1966 she worked with him to found the Bedford, MA, chapter of Dollars for Scholars which endowed the Joseph W. Farwell, Jr., Founders Scholarship in his name at his retirement as first president of the organization. Since its founding this CSF Chapter has overseen the awarding of in excess of $900,000 in scholarship assistance to Bedford youth – the legacy of a couple neither of whom was financially able to complete college. Mr. and Mrs. Farwell also served as co-presidents of the Bedford High School Parents Association and POMS - the Parents of Music Students. As members of the Parents of Music Students, they were instrumental in founding the Chuck Wagon – the portable refreshment/snack bar which raised funds for the first band uniforms when Bedford High School opened in 1957 and which continues to serve Bedford High School football fans.
Mrs. Farwell was a member of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church, where she served as a Sunday School teacher, and The First Church of Christ, Congregational of Bedford, where she organized and oversaw the weekly Youth Group suppers serving as many as 80 students every Wednesday night, was a member of the Board of Deacons, and served as a member of the Newsletter Committee. She maintained memberships also in the Bedford Women’s Club, the Bedford Garden Club and the Nickerson Family Association.
Mrs. Farwell had also lived in Florida, California, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Virginia. She sailed the Inland Waterway with friends from Mattapoisett and particularly enjoyed cooking, knitting, and traveling to visit the many friends the couple had made.
She is survived by her daughters Sandra F. Bartlett of Barrington, RI, and Joanne Denham Hess of Mattapoisett, MA, her son-in-law G. Rollin Bartlett, 3 grandsons Charles M. Beeghly III of Fairfax, VA, George W. Bartlett of Stamford, CT, and Nathan S. Bartlett of San Diego, CA, as well as her nephew Barry J. Denham of Mattapoisett, MA and her niece Penny (Denham) Lupo of Troy NY. She was pre-deceased by her brother John F. Denham, Jr.
In lieu of flowers the family has requested contributions to the Joseph W. Farwell Founders Scholarship Fund, Citizens Scholarship Foundation, Town Center Box 1-4, Bedford, MA 01730 or to the Mattapoisett Public Library Building Fund, 7 Barstow St., Mattapoisett, MA 02739.
Her Funeral Service will be held on Sunday February 16, 2003 at 2 PM in the Mattapoisett Congregational Church. Burial will follow in Cushing Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Saturday February 15, 2003 from 4-7 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett.