Bath, N.H. —
Alden was born in Littleton, N.H., to George C. and Dorothy E. (Whitcomb) Minot on Nov. 20, 1928. He was a graduate of the last class at the Bath High School in 1946. Following graduation, he joined the U.S. Army, serving mostly in Germany. On Oct. 15, 1950, he married Beatrice A. “Betty” Rainey.
Alden was the 6th generation to farm The Minot Farm, a dairy farm that has been in the family since the 1700s. He retired in 2006. However, during his active farming years, he and Betty were dairy project leaders for the Bath Braves 4-H club. He was a USDA Farm Service Agency county committee member of 20 years, a member of the Grafton County Farm Bureau, the Timber Owners Association, and the Agway committee. In 1998, he received the N.H. Green Pastures Award as dairy farm of the year.
Along with Betty and several other committed community members, Alden assisted in establishing the local volunteer ambulance service and taught first aid and CPR. He became president of the Cottage Hospital Volunteer Ambulance Service and served on the Cottage Hospital Board of Trustees for 16 years.
He was a long-time member of the Bath Congregational Church and of the choir and worked tirelessly to improve the building. Alden was active in the Bath Historical Society. He sang in the North Country Chorus for over 50 years and belonged to the VFW Post #5245 in North Haverhill, N.H. For 60 years, Alden served as the Bath Town Treasurer.
In his free time he enjoyed fishing, hunting, skiing, snowmobiling and attending local dances. However, milking the cows always came first.
Alden had several favorite sayings, but the most important was, “Tomorrow is another day.”
He was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Beatrice A. “Betty” (Rainey) Minot, on March 14, 2018; his father, George C. Minot on July 23, 1987; his mother, Dorothy Minot on April 19, 1992; and his brother, Arthur S. “Dugan” Minot on Nov. 6, 2015.
He is survived by their son, William A. Minot, I and wife Brenda of Bath; a grandson, William A. Minot, II and wife Dianne and their children Jonas W. and Grace R. Minot, also of Bath.
Calling hours will be on Friday, April 13, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Ricker Funeral Home, 1 Birch Street, Woodsville, N.H.
A memorial service will be on Saturday, April 14, at 11 a.m., at the Bath Congregational Church, Bath, with Rev. Lyn Winter, officiating.
A private burial will be observed by the family.
Memorial contributions may be made to either the Bath Congregational Church, c/o Janet Cheney, Bath, NH 03740 or to the Bath Historical Society, PO Box 44, Bath, NH 03740.
For more information or to offer an online condolence, please visit www.rickerfh.com.
Ricker Funeral Home & Cremation Care of Woodsville is in charge of arrangements.