Betsy Phelps presents "A Soldier's Mother Tells Her Story" on Nov. 15

GILFORD — “A Soldier's Mother Tells Her Story” will be presented at the Gilford Library on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 4 p.m. As we remember and honor our veterans on Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11, may we also remember those who fought so that we would remain a united United States of America.

Speaking as Betsy Phelps, the mother of a Union soldier from Amherst, New Hampshire, who died heroically at the Battle of Gettysburg, Sharon Wood offers an informative and sensitive reflection on that sacrifice from a mother's perspective. Wood blends the Phelps boy's story with those of other men who left their New Hampshire homes to fight for the Union cause and of the families who supported them on the home front.

Thanks to the New Hampshire Humanities Council, the Gilford Historical Society is pleased to co-sponsor this presentation with the Gilford Library. Although we are living in the present, there are times when knowing what has happened in our past helps us to appreciate our lives today. Sharon Wood's presentation of a grieving New Hampshire mother mourning the loss of her son is as real today as it was in the 1800s.

“A Soldier's Mother Tells Her Story” will be the last program of the season. Next year the society hopes to present programs concerning “History In Our Back Yards” concerning local Gilford history. In order to do that we need residents who live in historical homes to share what they know about their homes, barns (perhaps with photos, historical items). Or if you have a story to tell about a relative who lived in Gilford, such as going to Gilford school when it had four classrooms for grades 1-8. Contact Gilford's Thompson-Ames Historical Society at thompson-ames@gmail.com. New members are always welcome and suggestions concerning interesting programs.