s Bessie Amanda Heath

Bessie Amanda Heath, 101 years old, of Newport died Sunday, February 3, 2013 at Heatherwood Nursing And Subacute Center of Newport, RI. Mrs. Heath was born in Blodgett's Landing, Newbury, NH on September 11, 1911 to Walter and Nellie (Weeks) Hoague She spent most of her life in the Springfield, New Hampshire area where she met and married Paul C. Health, whom she was married to for sixty-three years. They had one child, Patricia Heath Caswell, who married John Caswell. They had one grand child, Fredrick Heath Defibaugh, who died in 1964. Bessie also had two step grandsons, John and James Caswell and their families. Bessie worked many summers in Springfield at Adamsfort, and later for Mr. and Mrs. Fairfax Downey at Martini Well on George Hill in Springfield, NH. In the late 1950's and early 1960's, Bessie and Paul were employed by Joseph Welch Esq, of Army McCarthy fame at his home in Harwichport, MA. Bessie and Paul moved to Melbourne, Florida in the mid 1960's, but Bessie never forgot Springfield, NH and her lifelong friends. She came back to her cottage on the lake after Paul died in 1990. In the late '90's and early in the 2000's, she alternated between New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Bessie was a wonderful mother who was an excellent cook and talented artist. She loved her friends, her get-togethers and made sure her daughter got a college education. Bessie was preceded in death by her sisters, Blanche and Hattie Russell, Marion Yeomans, Jessie Campbell and her brother, Fred Hoague Olney. Bessie was also preceded in death by her sisters-in-law, Lucy Heath Tillson, Dorothy Wheeler Heath, Kirk and Evelyn Rollins Heath, and Hollis Heath. Bessie was very fond of her many nieces, nephews and sister-in-law, Marilyn Miller Heath. A memorial service will be held in Springfield, NH at Pleasant View Cemetery during the summer. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to in Bessie's name to the Springfield, New Hampshire Historical Society Scholarship Fund, P.O.Box 6 Springfield, New Hampshire 03284, or to Gentiva Hospice 2374 Post Rd Warwick, RI 02886.