Laura Elizabeth McGettigan

Laura E. McGettigan (91) died peacefully on January 10, 2024 surrounded by her loving family at Summerhill Assisted Living in Peterborough, New Hampshire. She was born in Rockland, Maine on May 22, 1932, the daughter of Helmi (Anderson) and Samuel J. Karnis, the first of five children. The family moved to Milford and later to Mont Vernon. Laura attended Milford schools, and graduated from Milford High School in 1950. After high school, she studied elementary education at Keene Teachers College for two years.

Laura met her future husband, Charles O. McGettigan, Jr. at a square dance in Mont Vernon when she asked Charlie to dance during “Ladies’ Choice”. He often retold this memory with tears in his eyes and related how lucky he was to have found Laura, his “beautiful redhead”, or, as he liked to say: “Laura chose me.”

Charlie and Laura built their own home in 1953 on McGettigan Road in Wilton by clearing the land, milling the lumber, and working with their own hands. They were helped by Charlie’s brothers and sisters, Laura’s father, and a few contracted helpers. In 1994 they built a vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard for their family to enjoy. They lived in Wilton their entire married life until 2020 when during the pandemic they moved into the Summerhill Assisted Living Community in Peterborough, where the staff became a loving family to both of them.

They raised seven children, four daughters and three sons. Their children were taught by example to work hard, to always do their best, to never be afraid to go the extra mile, and to support one another along the way. They learned the importance of being active citizens, volunteering, sharing with others, and caring about the world. They became nurses, teachers, engineers, accountants, IT professionals, office managers, and more.

The family also includes 15 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Even though Laura and Charlie’s children are located in 11 states, the family connections remain strong and supportive. Charlie and Laura taught them the importance of family.

Laura was always focused on providing a loving, stable, secure home environment for her husband and family. She was the quintessential American mom of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s!  She would take her children on daily trips to swimming classes at Goss Park, to after-school activities, picnics, shopping excursions, and to Benson’s Wild Animal Farm.

She taught her kids life skills including cooking, baking, gardening, canning, freezing, and stretching a dollar. She hosted children from the New York City urban area through the Fresh Air Fund program, providing them with a summer experience in a rural environment and giving them and her own children a rare chance to interact with kids from completely different social and economic backgrounds. 

She was the organizer of family trips to Washington, DC and Gettysburg, Niagara Falls, and Expo 67 in Canada. With her husband Charlie, she organized and took five of her children on an amazing and memorable month-long car trip across the United States. 

She loved working on jigsaw puzzles and reading. She could easily finish a few books each week. Weekly trips to the town library with her kids was a must. She attended every school assembly, performance, show, and function when her children were in school and they always knew to look for her face in the audience. She was proud of her Finnish heritage and her red hair.

In Wilton, she served many years as a library trustee and a supervisor of the voter checklist. She worked as a clerk at the Maude Adams Quality Shop, Wilton's classic small-town emporium.

She also worked alongside her husband and kept the books for their many business endeavors. Laura and her husband built and operated their own textile mill in Wilton. They also provided the school bus service for the Wilton and Lyndeborough schools for 21 years.

Laura was an excellent homemaker raising a large family while finding time to volunteer her skills. She volunteered at both the Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library and the Wilton Elementary School’s library. She was a Brownie and Junior Girl Scout troop leader and a chairperson of the annual Girl Scout Cookie Drive. She was also a member of the Wilton Historical Society.

She was predeceased by her husband with whom she celebrated 70 years of marriage in November 2022, her sisters Ruth Leduc and Virginia Karnis, and her brother Thomas Karnis.

Survivors include her seven children and their spouses, Steven and Niki McGettigan of Temple, Kathryn and Gerald Wolf of Dublin, Carole Bragdon of Wilton, Pamela and Joseph Moriarty of Manchester, John and Justina McGettigan of Portland, Maine, Edward and Kim McGettigan of Morgan Hill, California, and Ann and John Glezen of Holmes Beach, Florida, her brother Alfred Karnis and his wife Carolyn of Milford, as well as many nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

A private family celebration of Laura’s life will be held in the spring. Memorial donations in Laura’s memory can be made to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301; the Wilton Historical Society, PO Box 1052, Wilton, NH 03086; The Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library, PO Box 420, Wilton, NH 03086; or the Open Cupboard Food Pantry, PO Box 111, Wilton, NH 03086.

The Cremation Society of New Hampshire has been entrusted with arrangements. To view an online tribute, leave a message of condolence or for more information please visit www.csnh.com.