Louise M. Samson

LANCASTER - Louise Mary Gallagher Samson went home to be with her Heavenly Father on August 29, 2019, after a short battle with cancer. She was 93. Louise was a beloved daughter, sister, aunt, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. Her kind ways and quick wit will be missed by all she knew. Louise was born to Franklin Lyle Gallagher and Eva Hope Scott Gallagher on April 21, 1926. She spent her childhood on Sunnybrook Farm in Northumberland. She grew up surrounded by a large extended family and spent her life as a caretaker of their stories. She was a great listener and had an extraordinary memory of countless details about everyone she knew over the course of her long life. She happily shared her knowledge with anyone who was lucky enough to know her and who had time to listen. Louise was a graduate of Groveton High School, Class of 1944. She worked for a short time at the Gilman Mill. She married Richard E. Samson in 1946 and they raised three children, Richard, Warren, and Nadene. Louise and Richard lived their entire married lives in Lancaster, but Louise had deep roots in Pittsburg. She loved to spend time at Back Lake with her Aunt Junie, her brother Jim, and the large Scott/Gallagher family. Many of her happiest memories were made at the camps on Back Lake. Louise was wholly dedicated to her community. She will be remembered by family and friends for bringing food, particularly her famously delicious homemade baked beans, to anyone in need. As a young woman, she wanted to be a home economics teacher and baked every imaginable type of cake, pie, and bread. She would line the counters, then give it all away to family and friends. She cared for more than a hundred cats over the decades she lived in Lancaster, coaxing even the most timid and traumatized felines into her care. Even in death, she supported her community by attending services of her countless friends and family after they passed on. She was the perfect combination of a kind soul and a good friend, with a healthy dose of humor. Louise was a dedicated volunteer with the organizations to which she belonged. She was a lifelong, active member of the John W. Weeks VFW Ladies Auxiliary, traveling to its convention every year. She was also a member of the American Legion NH Post 17 in Groveton and will be missed by her many friends there. Louise attended the Groveton High School Alumni reunion each year and was recognized by all in attendance at her 75th reunion in July this year. Louise was an intrepid traveler. She was always willing to drive friends or family anywhere they needed to go. At 67, she hopped on a plane from New York, NY to Reno to attend the wedding of her granddaughter. She also made multiple trips to Nevada to visit her daughter and her family. She enjoyed the southern climate when she visited her sister and brother-in-law in Fort Myers, Florida. She also enjoyed seeing shows, whether it was the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular in New York City or a local performance at the Weathervane Theatre. At the age of 90, she packed up her vim and vigor and flew to Oregon to attend the graduation of her great-granddaughter. She always added a flair to family events, with a twinkle in her eye and her quicksilver wit. Louise is preceded in death by her parents Frank and Eva Gallagher, husband, Richard E. Samson, brother James Gallagher, son Warren Samson, and great-granddaughter Shawna Lee DeBlois. Survivors include her sister and brother-in-law Jane Eva and Mark Foss of Bolton, Connecticut, her sister Ann Broome of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, her son and daughter-in-law Richard J. Samson and Linda Samson of Stewartstown, her daughter and son-in-law Nadene and Joe Silveroli of Henderson, Nevada, eleven grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren, and her nieces and nephews. Calling hours will be held at the Bailey Funeral Home in Lancaster on Thursday, September 12 from 4:00 to 7:00. The Funeral will be held Friday, September 13th at 11:00 am at Saint Timothy's Chapel on Lost Nation Road in Northumberland. Interment will be at the Summer Street Cemetery. A luncheon will be held at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church on Main Street in Lancaster following the service. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Louise's name to the Groveton Alumni Association (GHSAA), c/o John Potter, 19 ½ Michael Road, Beverly, MA 01915.

Louise M. Samson

April 21, 1926 - August 29, 2019