Mary M. Jenness, 83

BRIDGEWATER — Mary M. Connors Jenness, 83, of Bridgewater, wife of Mitchell R. Jenness since 1963, passed away on June 8, at Speare Memorial Hospital after battling congestive heart failure and kidney failure with her husband by her side holding her hand.

Mary was born March 22, 1939, to Daniel Connors and Margret Loughlin in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After her parents died, she went to live with her older sister Peggy and her husband Bucky in Waltham Massachusetts. She graduated Waltham High School and went on to nursing school at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in the maternity care unit. She worked at Lawrence Memorial until she married and moved to New Hampshire, working at Speare Memorial Hospital and finally ending up at Lakes Region General Hospital, where she worked for many years as a registered nurse helping new moms and delivering many babies. Mary retired from nursing in 1991 when she opened her own candy shop, Mary's Sweets and Things. She loved to bake, decorate cakes, and make chocolate candies.

Mary volunteered a lot of her time to the Plymouth Senior Center, which included helping in the kitchen, giving rides to people who needed it and helped running the gift shop. She was a member of Bridgewater Home Industries and Baker Pemi Senior Citizens Club. This work earned her a commendation from Gov. Maggie Hassan.

Mary married Mitchell in 1963 and raised two children. Then they moved to a trailer park in Winnisquam, where her daughter hid under a trailer and would not come out. The family moved to Bristol where they welcomed a son, Mitchell, and raised the two children there. Later they moved down the other end of the road to Bridgewater, where they still reside today.

Mary loved to knit, crochet, needlepoint and quilt. She made many gifts for her friends and family. She loved her trips to Ogunquit beach with her husband, so they could walk the Marginal Way. She would cook for weeks getting ready for the family vacation to Hubble Island every year.

Mary was the Queen Mother of the red hat group Red Hot Mamas, a group of 23. They went out to eat and celebrated each other’s birthdays and took trips to Hampton Beach to see the sandcastles. Thanks to her nephew Bobby, they stayed in a rental for three days, walking on the beach, sunbathing, eating seafood and shopping buying saltwater taffy and trinkets (such a good time).

In addition to her husband Mitchell, she is survived by her children, Laura Griffith-Cocharane and Mitchell R. Jenness Jr. his wife, Natsumi; and five grandchildren, Eric, Andrew, Amy, Emma and Nina, along with two great-grandchildren, Rebekah and Jacob. All Jennesses (smiles).

The family will be having a celebration of life on Saturday, June 17, at 2 p.m., at the Bridgewater Town Hall, 297 Route 3A, Bristol.

The Mayhew Funeral Homes and Crematorium in Meredith and Plymouth are honored to assist the Jenness family with their arrangements. To sign The Book of Memories, visit mayhewfuneralhomes.com.