Christine Mary Boyland

Christine Mary (MacIntyre) Boyland, 98, of Durham, N. H., known to all as "Mimi", died January 7, 2004 at The Edgewood Centre, Portsmouth, N. H., after a brief illness. She was born at Belfry, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada on August 26, 1905, the daughter of the late Alexander and Sarah Ann (Munroe) MacIntyre. She grew up in Belfry, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and attended the one room school house at Belfry. In 1940, she began her married life in Everett, MA, but soon moved to the "country" in Georgetown, MA to raise her family. In the country she was able to have a large vegetable garden, fruit trees, and kept a barn with dairy cows and chickens, selling the eggs to supplement the family income. After her children were grown, her house became a popular gathering place for her grandchildren. On many weekends she had a house full. She was able to pass on her love of gardening, her recipe for Mimi's rolls, and an attitude that wealth came from the friends and family in your life. She resided in Georgetown until after her husband's death, selling her home in 1984. She briefly moved into an apartment in Newburyport, MA, before she settled into a senior apartment complex in Merrimac, MA, where she was close to her daughter, Jean. She was known for constantly driving everywhere, even to Canada and Florida. For the past five years, she has resided with her daughter and son-in-law, Chris and Peter Rasmussen in Rye and Durham, N.H. In addition to being a homemaker, she held a varity of jobs during her long life including a lobster canner in Gabarus, Nova Scotia, Canada, a hairdresser in Boston, MA, an aid at Baldpate Hospital in Georgetown, MA, a cook at the School Lunch Program in Georgetown, MA, Triangle Restaurant in Groveland, MA, and Civil Defense Training Center in Topsfield, MA. She was a member of the First Congregational Church of Georgetown, MA and the Ladies Guild. Some of the many things that she enjoyed in her retirement were knittting, cooking, shopping, reading, visiting, and especially traveling. Some of the many trips included Florida, Aruba, Jamaica, Spain, England, Scotland, Ireland, Labrador, Manitoba, and an annual trip back home to the "Old House" at Belfry, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, just in time for the Strawberry Festival. She especiallly enjoyed spending time with her family, and sharing her memories of growing up in Canada, She will be dearly missed by her family and friends. She is survived by three daughters, Christine Rasmussen and her husband, Peter, of Durham, N. H., Margaret Seaman and her husband, Gerald, of The Villages, FL, and Sarah Beekler and her husband, Lawrence, of Atkinson, N.H., 14 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, several nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by her husband of 43 years, James Stafford Boyland, in 1983, and her daughter, Jean Gove in 1992. She was also predeceased by her brothers Lauchlin, William, and John MacIntyre, and her sisters, Margaret Hamilton, Annie Woodworth, and Katie Hiltz. There are no immediate services. There will be a memorial service on February 7, 2004 at the First Congregational Church, 7 Andover Street (1 block from square on 133 west), Georgetown, MA, at 11:00 AM. A memorial service will be held at Zion-Wesley United Church, Gabarus Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada in the summer at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Compass Care, Adult Day Care Program, c/o Fran Joseph, 127 Parrot Avenue, Portsmouth, N.H. 0380l, The First Congregational Church, P. O. Box 200, Georgetown, MA 01833, or to the Zion Cemetary Fund, Zion-Wesley United Church, Gabarus Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada.