Blanche Linden

Blanche Marie Gemrose Linden, 68, died unexpectedly July 31, 2014, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She was born July 4, 1946, in Battle Creek, Michigan, the beloved daughter of the late George and Lauretta Gemrose. A longtime resident of Watertown, Massachusetts, she moved to Fort Lauderdale following her retirement and had been a Florida resident for almost twenty years. Education and writing were her life; she was an indefatigable researcher and historian. After receiving a bachelors degree in French from the University of Michigan, Blanche completed a Master of Arts in history from the University of Cincinnati, where she found her lifelong work as a scholar of cemetery studies and American culture. She received her doctorate in the History of American Civilization from Harvard University; it was there that she began her important study of the history of Mt. Auburn Cemetery, culminating in the definitive Silent City on a Hill: Picturesque Landscapes of Memory and Boston's Mount Auburn Cemetery. Other significant publications include Spring Grove: Celebrating 150 Years; Boston Freedom Trail; and American Women in the 1960s: Changing the Future. Blanche was a very active member of the New England American Studies Association and was President of NEASA in the mid-1980s. As is clear from some of her books, she was devoted to the art of photography and connected with several artistic photographers on Facebook. In addition to her publications, Blanche was an enthusiastic teacher: she brought her passion for ideas, her love of history, and her concern for students to several institutions, including Middlebury College, Brandeis University, Emerson College, the University of New Hampshire, and the Florida Atlantic University. In retirement, Blanche continued to pursue her passions by staying active in the many historical, political, and alumni organizations to which she belonged. Blanche is survived by her daughter Julia Lentini and son-in-law James of Ashland, Massachusetts, and her son Marc Lindow and daughter-in-law Francesca of Wellesley, Massachusetts. She was also the proud grandmother of Catherine, Timothy, Owen, and Mia, all of Massachusetts. She will be greatly missed by her family, and by the many friends and confidantes whom she cherished and stayed close to for decades. A memorial service is being planned for early Fall 2014, to take place at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, the beloved place about which she wrote so eloquently. For further details, please e-mail the family at blanchelinden@gmail.com.