Jeanine E. Copp, 94

MEREDITH — Jeanine Eva (née Bliss) Copp, of Waukewan Street in Meredith, passed away of natural causes on Aug. 24, at Concord Hospital, Laconia. She was 94 years old, having missed her 95th birthday by just one short day.

Jeanine was a force to be reckoned with. She may have been tiny, but she was mighty. She was a strong, tough, stubborn, obstinate, hard-headed ol' Yankee gal who was a fierce feminist before the word was ever coined. She was a strong defender of the underdog and always stood up for those who were being knocked down. She taught her daughter and then her grandchildren to stand up for anyone who was being hurt. And most importantly, to never be a bully and never start a fight. But by golly, if someone started a fight with them, they were to finish it. They were not to allow anyone to push them around. She also taught them that they could be anything they wanted to be, and do anything they wanted to do, to not let anything get in the way of their dreams.

She learned to live her life like that from the way she grew up. She was born in Bristol, during the Depression, in 1931, to Leslie and May (née Evans) Bliss, the fourth of five children. It was a hard life, the family was poor, but they stuck together, through thick and thin, no matter what. They were very close and incredibly loving and remained so till each one of them passed on.

She grew up going to Bristol schools, graduating from Bristol High School in 1949. From there she had several jobs, such as a secretary and bookkeeper for Curley Crutch Factory in Bristol, and Chase's Diner in Meredith as a waitress, where she loved to tell everyone how she worked 60 hours a week for $20 a week — a whopping 33 1/3 cents an hour — and all the nickel and dime tips she could make. From there she worked in the lab at Amatex in Meredith (known then as Keasby's American Asbestos Textile Corporation), and finally she became one of the first employees of Annalee Dolls. She worked for quite a while for Annalee until her late 50s when she took an early retirement so that she could stay home and babysit her two grandchildren.

Jeanine met and married the love of her life, Frederic Copp, in 1951. They struggled for a while and worked very hard and ended up having a great life. Everything they had, they worked for and earned. Fred passed away in April, just missing their 75th wedding anniversary by about six months. And they would have celebrated 70 years in their home on Waukewan Street on Christmas Eve of this year. When they made a commitment and put down roots, they meant it. It was who they were; they just never gave up or gave in. Most importantly, they loved each other so very much.

Jeanine was predeceased by her husband, Fred Copp of Meredith; also, her parents, Leslie and May Bliss; and her siblings, Daniel Bliss, Irene (née Bliss) Avery, Gerald Bliss, and Natalie (née Bliss) Jewell, all of Bristol. She was also predeceased by her infant son, Frederic Eldin Copp Jr.

She is survived by her loving daughter Pamela (née Copp) Finer and her husband William of Meredith; her grandchildren, Allison Cook of Concord, Matthew Cook (Bonnie Therrien) of Bartlett, step-grandchildren Alissa Brown of Alfred, Maine, and Brian Finer of Effingham, and bonus grandchild Zoey Labraney of Franklin; several nieces and nephews, including a very special nephew (whom she and Fred considered a son) Thom (Cindy) Copp of Grand Junction, Colorado; and finally, her "baby," her kitty Willow. She loved Willow with everything she had. That cat kept her going when she didn't think she could after Fred passed away.

There are no calling hours, but the funeral will be held at the Bliss family church, the Bristol Baptist Church, located at 30 Summer St. in Bristol. The service will be held at 1 p.m., on Saturday, Sept. 5, and will be led by Pastor John Bascom. This will be followed by graveside services at the Meredith Village Cemetery, with a reception immediately following at the Meredith Community Center at One Circle Drive, next door to the cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to The Heart & Hands Thrift Shop in Meredith, or The Wamesit Fire Company in Meredith.

Arrangements are under the care of Mayhew Funeral Homes and Crematorium. To sign the online book of memories, visit mayhewfuneralhomes.com.