Susanne (Strong) Filkins, 84, died peacefully on Thursday, March 17, 2005 in New London. She was born on January 18, 1921, in Springfield, MA, the daughter of Howard Marcus Strong and Judith Darby Strong. She grew up in the nearby town of Longmeadow, MA.

She attended Classical High School in Springfield, MA, and Colby Junior College in New London. After graduation from Colby, she worked at the Springfield (MA) Federal Land Bank, where she met her husband of 57 years, Elmer Sidney Filkins. After being married they settled in Longmeadow, MA and raised their family.

In 1974, they became residents of Georges Mill where they had spent many summers. They later moved to New London. After her children were grown, Sue returned to school to expand her education. She received her B.A. from Goddard College, Plainfield, VT, and later completed her master's degree in library science from New York State University.

Sue had a lifelong love of learning and literature, which has passed on to her family and to members of the community during her nearly 30 year career as a librarian. In 1974, she joined the staff of Tracy Memorial Library in New London as the children's librarian. From 1979 until 1987, she served as the head librarian. She continued to work in various positions at the library until 2003.

Family members include two sons, John of Manchester and Donald of New London; a daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Jeff McLeod of Minneapolis; six grandchildren, Pat, Dan, and Emily Filkins of Goshen, Jean (Bob) Mulroy of Boston, Jennifer (Aaron) Hill of Denver, and Jeffrey McLeod, Jr. of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and a great-granddaughter, Mary Filkins Mulroy of Boston.

Donations may be made to Tracy Memorial Library, PO Box 1919, New London, N.H. 03257, or to Lake Sunapee Region Visiting Nurse Association Hospice, PO Box 2209, New London, N.H. 03257.

Janice Stirling (Fifield) Dawe, 85, died Thursday, January 6, 2005 at Concord Hospital after a short illness.

She was born April 17, 1919, in Penacook, the daughter of Stuart Guy and Lillian Cora (Stirling) Fifield, and the adoptive daughter of Stuart's second wife, Naomi (Austin) Fifield. She spent her earliest years in Penacook.

She attended school in Penacook and graduated from Penacook High School in 1936. She attended Wellesley College for two years before transferring to the University of New Hampshire, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1940.

After graduation she moved to Boston where she attended a lab school and worked as a lab technician at Boston Children's Hospital. In 1942, she joined the U.S. Navy and was stationed at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego. After the war, she returned to Boston Children's Hospital, where she married in 1954 to Frederic Dawe.

Her family lived in Beverly, MA and then Conway, N.H. before moving to Webster in 1972. She had been active in many organizations throughout the year, including the North Shore Wellesley Club, the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of America, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Women's Union of Webster, as a trustee of the Webster Congregational Church, as the Chair of the Trustees of the Webster Free Public Library, and as a member of the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association.

Mrs. Dawe leaves behind her devoted husband, Frederic R. Dawe of Webster, a daughter, Elizabeth St. Amand and her husband, Gerard of Enfield; their children; a son James A. Clark-Dawe and his wife, Cathryn, of Webster and their children.

Memorial services were held January 15, 2005 at the Webster Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Trustees of Webster Free Public Library, 947 Battle Street, Webster, N.H. 03303.