This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: WHL44 Surnames: HILDRETH, SEVERANCE, POOLER, MOWBRAY, CUSATO, COLLINS, COCKS, PEABODY, ECKARD, BLETHEN, OTIS Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.michigan.counties.kalamazoo/22518/mb.ashx Message Board Post: HILDRETH (SEVERANCE), Irene Laura Age 94 Of Orono, Maine Formerly of Kalamazoo After a long and fulfilling life, Irene Laura Severance Hildreth, 94, died at home comforted by her children, on Thursday, February 28, 2008 in Orono, Maine. She was born April 19, 1913 in Milo Junction (Derby) Maine, the daughter of Howard L. Severance and Gertrude A. (Pooler) Severance. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Old Town. In 1931, she graduated from Old Town High School and in 1935, she graduated as a Registered Nurse from Children's Hospital School of Nursing in Boston. In 1936, she moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan to practice neurosurgical nursing. There, she met her future husband. Irene married Roscoe C. Hildreth, M.D. in June of 1938 in Old Town. They made their home in Kalamazoo for 65 years. Irene and her children spent three months of every summer, from the time her children were born, with her parents at the family camp on Pushaw Pond, raising her children and creating fond memories of Maine. She and Ros continued to summer at Pushaw for their remaining! years. Irene was very active in many community and charitable organizations and received numerous awards for her dedicated service. Some of her volunteer activities included forty five years with the American Red Cross, seventy years with the Kalamazoo Medical Auxiliary, and several years with the Kalamazoo School Board, Parent Teachers Association, YMCA, and Girl Scouts of America. She received the B'nai B'rith Interfaith Award in 1962, the Kalamazoo Rotary Club's Rose Citation in 1969, and the Kalamazoo Academy of Medicine Alliance's Caroline Bartlett Crane Award in 2000. Irene was a member of the First Congregational Church in Kalamazoo for 68 years and served as a volunteer in various positions. In her later years, she returned to the Old Town area to live and spent many hours documenting the Pooler / Severance and Hildreth / Mowbray genealogy. Friends and family will remember her as being gracious, loving, kind and caring. Many have said, "She was a special Lady." She! is survived by her children, Douglas H. Hildreth and his wife, Linda of Medford, OR, Susan Hildreth Cusato and her husband, Joseph of Columbus, OH, Steven C. Hildreth of Parkman, ME. and Barbara Hildreth of Old Town; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are nieces, Rene Severance Collins and Jacqueline Hildreth Cocks; cousins, Laura-jean Peabody Eckard, Selden Blethen and Jane Blethen Otis. She was predeceased by her husband and her brother, Laurance P. Severance. A visitation with family was held Wednesday, March 5th from 2-3 PM in the Kenduskeag Parlor at Dirigo Pines Inn, 9 Alumni Drive, Orono, Maine. (207) 866-3400. A service in celebration of Irene's life will be held at a later date. Her cremains will be interred next to her husband's in Lawndale Cemetery in Old Town following her body gift to Harvard Medical School. At Irene's request, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Nebraska Foundation, Roscoe C. Hildreth, M.D. and Irene S. Hildreth, R.N. Scholarship Fund # 4708, 1010 Lincoln Mal! l, Suite 300, Lincoln, NE. 68508. The Scholarship was established in 1992 and provides tuition to the University of Nebraska for students from Hildreth, NE. Messages of condolences and memories may be left at www.bangordailynews.com in the obituary section. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Birmingham Funeral Home, 438 Main Street, Old Town, Maine 04468. Published in the Kalamazoo Gazette on 3/12/2008. (Posted by a VOLUNTEER-NO family connection) Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.