Mary MacIver Crabtree

Mary (MacIver) Crabtree, 80, of Bedford, NH, died Friday, May 20, 2005 at Ridgewood Center Nursing Home, Bedford, NH, following a period of declining health. Born March 18, 1925 in Lowell, MA, she was the daughter of John and Margaret (Hastings) MacIver. After graduating from high school in Pittsfield, MA, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Skidmore College and a Masters of Library Science degree from Syracuse University. She was married to James Crabtree of Brookline, MA on August 20, 1950, in Pittsfield, MA. Mrs. Crabtree taught junior high school English, raised her sons in the Syracuse, NY area, and later moved to Delmar, NY, where she served as librarian for the Hospital Association of New York State in Albany. In 1980, she and her husband retired to Greenfield, NH, where they lived for 20 years before moving to Bedford, NH. She was active in the Greenfield Congregational Church and gave her time and energy to numerous charities, formal and informal, small and large. She had a keen interest in genealogy and in America’s colonial and Revolutionary War history. She enjoyed researching her roots, from the earliest settlements of the Connecticut River Valley to the remote reaches of Scotland’s outer islands. Mrs. Crabtree is survived by her husband James Crabtree of Bedford, NH, son Alan Crabtree of Delmar, NY, and son John Crabtree, daughter-in-law Catherine and grandchildren Rebecca and William Crabtree, all of Winchester, MA. A memorial service will be held June 5th at 2 PM at the Greenfield Congregational Covenant Church in Greenfield, NH. Memorial donations may be made to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of New Hampshire (NAMI NH), 15 Green Street, Concord, NH 03301. (www.naminh.org). The Cremation Society of New Hampshire is in charge of arrangements. To view the on line obituary or to send condolences go to www.csnh.com.