Maria A Huston

Maria Anna Huston passed away peacefully after a short illness at the age of 90 on December 28, 2025, at the hospital in Concord, New Hampshire. She was a cherished mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and unique friend; her presence will be deeply missed.

She was born on August 9, 1935, in rural Germany to Karl and Elisabeth Farber. She had a tough start in life: it was shortly after Hitler took power and only four years before the start of World War II. Early in the war, her father was drafted, leaving her mother alone with 4 children. To escape the bombing, the family moved to East Germany. After some months, a little transistor radio alerted Maria's mother to the imminent fall of East Germany to the Soviet Red Army. Her mother found a way to return to West Germany by hiding with her four children in the cattle car of a train.

Living through war in Germany did not put a damper on Maria’s natural confidence. After high school, she began working, learning English and attending social dances. She then decided to move to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She started working at the University of Alberta cafeteria and fell in love with James Huston, a bright student with three small children: Lorne, Nancy and Patricia. He and Maria were married on January 20, 1960. They had two more children the following year: Arthur and Amyas. So, two years after being married, Maria had five children. They moved to New Hampshire in 1968 and had their last child, Daniel, in 1969.

Maria was a dedicated wife and mother. James was a teacher, and, with all their children, dogs and cats, it was often hard to make ends meet. But Maria was undaunted; she was known to sing as she prepared meals or cleaned the house. She continued to love dancing and for years James and Maria went square dancing every Saturday night. At first, they rented but then came two summers when they were without a home. While her husband managed the blueberry fields on Crotched Mountain, and the family lived in some nearby lean-tos, Maria looked after the family “en plein air”, making blueberry pancakes and blueberry jam on an open fire pit. Neither parent disclosed the uncertainty they must have felt, because the younger children described those summers as a wonderful time of camping, swimming in a nearby lake, eating blueberries, hiking up to the fire tower and singing around an open fire at nighttime. James and Maria then bought a house on the Contoocook River in downtown Peterborough, New Hampshire, which they kept for over 30 years.

When their youngest child started school, Maria decided to start school as well. Over time, she obtained a degree at Keene State College majoring in social work. Initially, she worked for Child Protective Services for the state of New Hampshire and developed a reputation for being a compelling witness in court cases. Later, James and Maria lived in Waltham, Massachusetts, where Maria decided to change her focus to the elderly. She took a course on the elderly at Harvard University with her daughter, who was studying there at the time. Maria soon got a job helping the elderly stay at home and was later recognized at the State House in Boston for her work. Upon retirement, James and Maria moved back to Peterborough and enjoyed some lovely years together. Maria joined a fitness centre and competed in the Senior Olympics; she loved it so much she kept her Olympic jacket until the day she died.

After she was widowed, Maria moved to the supportive living community, Heritage Heights in Concord and loved it. She soon had a reputation for her sociability, her spiritual nature, and her green thumb. She had many plants inside her cottage and created a beautiful garden outside her cottage. She would love to sing at the non-denominational services held at Heritage Heights, and the chaplain at that time, Bevan Tulk, became part of her extended family.

In 2022, she sustained a serious car accident and was found unconscious with multiple fractures and a head injury. She required months of rehabilitation and then was transferred to long term care at Havenwood. She greatly missed her friends and her garden. Gradually she was able to walk with a walker with supervision. But that was not enough for Maria; she wanted to walk independently without supervision. With time and perseverance, she did. The nurses loved her; they said when they started to sing, Maria would start to dance. She never lost her love of dancing.

Then towards the end of December 2025, she became progressively weak and confused. She was transferred to hospital and her family gathered around her. After a short, severe illness, she indicated it was time to go, and she passed away in her sleep, in a state of grace.

Maria leaves behind six children (and their partners): Lorne (Carole), Nancy, Trish (Bob), Art (Mara), Amyas (Adriana) and Dan (Danielle); eight grandchildren: Nick, Claire (Richard), Lea, Sacha (Elara), Alex, Jonathan, Liam, and Lyx; three great grandchildren: Walter, Sofia, and Aenor; her sister Wilma; and numerous nieces and nephews: John, Peter, Darrell, Wolfgang, Norbert, and Thomas. She was predeceased by her brother Walter, sister Johanna and brothers and sisters-in-law, Harold (Jane), Mary (Bill) and Helen.

The family is most grateful to Melissa Tuttle, the nurse manager at Havenwood, who had also become part of the extended family, for all who took care of Maria at Havenwood, as well as the kind and competent nurses and attending physician, Dr. Kadiqi at the Concord hospital who looked after Maria until she passed.

Her celebration of her life will be held locally in the spring of 2026. In lieu of flowers, please consider planting something in her honor, giving a random gift to a local dance school, or contributing to non-profit organizations which support mothers and children or local farmers and their communities.

New Generation New Hampshire | https://newgennh.org

Provides Shelter and Support for Mothers & Children Facing Homelessness in New Hampshire

Save the Children | https://www.savethechildren.org

Improves children's lives by creating better educational opportunities, better health care, and improved economic opportunities internationally

Heifer International | https://www.heifer.org

Mission to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way by supporting and investing alongside local farmers and their communities

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.