Ann Woodbury Davis passed away at Crestwood Center, Milford, NH on Sat, Nov 10th following a period of declining health. She was one month shy of her 94th birthday.

Ann was born at home in Milton Mills, NH on December 15th, 1924 to William Elliott and Doris (Horne) Woodbury. Despite the Depression, she had a wonderful childhood growing up on her father’s poultry farm and playing with cousins at Horn Pond. She graduated from Milton Mills Grammar School, and Nute High School, class of 1942. During World War II she worked for one year in Miltonia Mill – one of the first two women to do a man’s job. Ann attended Chamberlain School of Fashion and Retailing in Boston for two years and following graduation with honors, was employed for five years at Gilchrist Department Store in Boston.

While on a hostelling trip (via bicycle) she met Robert Davis at his family’s farm in Amherst, NH. They married in 1950 and honeymooned in Europe travelling by bicycle and motorcycle. They continued their travels by motorcycle around the Western United States, Alaska, and Mexico, and gave a series of illustrated travel lectures to local civic groups and schools. When faced with an “empty nest”, Ann and Bob spent one summer backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, completing approximately 1200 miles of its total length of 3200 miles.

While living in Amherst, Ann and Bob built their own home. Ann was a Girl Scout leader as well as a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, the Amherst Historical Society and the Congregational Church’s Woman’s Association. For many years she was active in the Christian Science church in Milford, serving as Reader, Reading Room librarian, and Board Member. She worked at Jordan Marsh in Bedford, NH where she rose to the position of Training Director. Later, she volunteered at the Animal Rescue League and together with her daughter fostered litters of kittens and adult cats for Kitty Angels.

Following the death of her husband, Ann returned to college. She designed her own program of study, Non Fiction Writing, and graduated with a BA in 2002 from the College of Lifelong Learning (UNH). She wrote and published “Memoirs of a Marriage”, “Cat Tales”, and “Growing up in Milton Mills”.

Ann was an avid quilter and attended Quilt Camp through the Elder Hostel program in Lyndonville, VT for many years. She also participated in poetry and writing workshops held on the Isles of Shoals. She loved camping, hiking, travelling, her cats, her family, and really good chocolate chip cookies!

She will be missed by her daughters Susan (Scott) Adams of Amherst, NH and Elizabeth/Betsy (Robert) Mullen of Grand Island, FL and by her only grandchild Katherine Mullen (Steve) Ballard of Owensboro, KY. She leaves behind her sister Jane Seeling of Colorado Springs, CO and a brother in law, Victor Misek of Hudson, NH. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband of 44 years, Robert C. Davis, her brother and his wife, Steven and Eleanor Woodbury, her sister, Susan Misek, her brother in law Fred Seeling, and her brother in law and his wife, Roy and Patricia Davis.

Ann’s father was one of 10 children and she had more than 30 first cousins. One of her great joys was attending the Woodbury Family Reunion held every other year on Cape Cod. She leaves behind over 200 members of extended family.

There will be no services. A celebration of life will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to Kitty Angels, PO Box 638, Tyngsboro, MA, 01879, or to the Nashua Soup Kitchen,PO Box 3116, Nashua, NH 03061.