Canaan, N.H. —
She was athletic and played softball in school. Later in life she played softball in the Over 50 league. After graduating she worked at the Canaan Movie Theater serving popcorn where she met her future husband Milton Wilson and they were married on Oct. 5, 1957. She worked at the Woolen Mills and Carters for short periods of time before starting her family.
She was a homemaker to her daughter Tammy and her twin sons Mark and Matthew. When times were tough she would sell and buy antiques on her front lawn. Her true passion was yard sales and later in life she discovered the Listen Center where she could go seven days a week. Reading mysteries was a favorite past time and if she could not find any good mysteries she would settle for romance novels. She enjoyed casinos and bingo and was very lucky at both. Unable to participate in those activities she traded them for powerball, megabucks, and Publishers Clearing House.
Elsie was proud of her heritage and would share with everyone how her ancestors came to America on the Mayflower and that her great-grandmother Sarah Barney was the first woman doctor in the State of New Hampshire. She donated many items of importance to her ancestry to the Canaan Museum which is on display for all to see.
Traveling was another past time with her husband as well with family or friends. She went to Hawaii, the Caribbean, California, Ireland, and Aruba which was her favorite. She enjoyed cruises and once went to the Panama Canal.
She was supportive of her grandchildren’s activities whether it was plays or sporting events she was always there to cheer them on. Education was very important to her and she wanted her grandchildren to attend college and encouraged them to do so.
She had a good sense of humor and once wrote a joke and sent it to Reader’s Digest. The joke being “How do you catch a polar bear? Cut a hole in the ice put peas around the hole when the bear comes to take a pea you kick him in the ice hole.”
Family was extremely important to her and she was very generous to them as well as organizations such as St. Jude’s, Disabled Veterans, and other charities. She loved to pick berries and plant flowers and she had a green thumb and could grow anything. She was always trying out new recipes and had a few family recipes that she made regularly.
She was predeceased by her husband Milton, her parents, brothers Ernest, Eugene, sisters Fannie Hill, Emma Chase, and Dorothy McLaughlin. Survivors include her brothers Earl and George Smith. Along with her children Tammy Martin and husband Fred, her sons Mark and wife LeeAnn, and Matthew and wife Ellen-Marie. Her grandchildren Tyson Martin and wife Catherine, Colby Martin and his wife Elizabeth, Sarah, Allison, Kyle, Benjamin, and Olivia, great grandchildren Emory, Cooper, Evelyn, and Liv Martin along with Jeremiah and Thaddeus Martin.
As special thanks to the VNA/VNH of New Hampshire, Dr. David Beaufait, Barbara Kline-Schoder, and Christina’s Care Givers for all their help and care.
In lieu of flowers donations to the Canaan Fast Squad PO Box 35, Canaan, NH 03741, Canaan Fire Department PO Box 38, Canaan, NH 03741, and the Canaan Museum PO Box 38 Canaan, NH 03741.
Services to be held Friday May 5 at 2 p.m. at the Canaan Methodist Church where Elsie went to Sunday school, was baptized with her sister Fannie and married to Milton for 59 years. Graveside services will be held at the Canaan Street Cemetery and a reception to follow at the Canaan Methodist Church Vestry.