Charlotte P. Colman, 69, a longtime resident of Chester, NH, died Saturday, June 19, 2010 in the Parkland Medical Center, Derry, NH. Mrs. Colman was born in Lancaster, NH on April 16, 1941, daughter of the late Amasa and Bertrice (Dustin) Parker. She grew up in Whitefield, NH and moved to Manchester, NH in 1953. She graduated from Central High School in Manchester in 1959 and then from the Elliot School on Nursing at the Elliot Hospital in Manchester as a Registered Nurse in 1962. She worked for the Elliot Hospital for 2 years prior to serving with the U.S. Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Nursing Corps. Mrs. Colman was also the Head Cardiology Nurse for Shreveport Hospital while living in Louisiana. In 1973 she returned to New Hampshire and to the Elliot hospital, working in the emergency room and recovery units. She then decided to concentrate her life’s work in geriatric care, working in several NH nursing homes and retiring from the Rockingham Co. Nursing Home in 2002. Mrs. Colman was very active in the Chester Volunteer Fire Dept., serving many years as a dispatcher and later full time in the Derry Fire Dept.. She was a member of the Chester Congregational Baptist Church and once served the church as a Deaconess. In her younger years she was an accomplished rodeo barrel racer. Mrs. Colman also enjoyed cooking, camping, cross word puzzles and had crocheted many items for many people. Every new baby in both families as well as her friends had a crocheted blanket mad with loving care. She loved watching and feeding the birds in her yard. She was an avid reader and enjoyed playing cards, especially the Wed. night card parties with her sisters in law.
She is survived by her husband of over 25 years, John T. Colman of Chester, two sons, Michael A. Colman of Chester and Darryl T. Colman and his wife Susan of Tacoma, WA, two grandsons, Randy and Taylor, both of Tacoma, a brother, Jim Parker and his wife Claire of Belmont, NH, a niece, Jennifer Dickinson and grandniece, Alexandra, three sisters in law, Elizabeth J. Hardy of Bow, NH, Nancy Glover and her husband Charles of Kennebunk, ME and Deborah J. Groce of Manchester, a brother in law, Stephen Colman and his wife Ellen of Bow. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins, her beloved dogs, Mindy and Sam and her two cats, Gracie and Roy.
Graveside services were held 10:30am Thursday, June 24, 2010 in the Great Hill Cemetery, Rt. 121A, Chester. Following the service a continued celebration of Charlotte’s life was held in the Chester Congregational Baptist Church Vestry, 4 Chester St., Chester. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 811 W Evergreen Suite 303, Chicago, IL 60642, The NH Humane Society, 1305 Meredith Center Rd., PO Box 572, Laconia, NH 03246 or to the Chester Fire and Rescue, 27 Murphy Dr., Chester, NH 03036.