Nellie Mooney Grant

1935 - 2018

TILTON – Nellie Mooney Grant, 82 years of age, of Tilton, died Monday, March 19, 2018, following a brief illness. Surviving are two sons, Mark (Nancy) Grant of Port Townsend, Wash. and Jason Grant of Denver; and two daughters, Laura (Tom) Wiggans, of Seaford, Va. and Julia (Catherine Dumont) Chase of Northfield; nine grandchildren, Brittany and Amelia Grant, Emily, Ethan and Owen Wiggans, Teddy Grant,Wyleigh and Forrest Chase and Caitlin Dumont. She also leaves three sisters, Colleen of Gilford, Kathleen of E. Andover and Susan of Gilford; three brothers, Thomas Mooney of Ormond Beach, Fla., Dr. Peter Mooney of Topsfield, Mass. and Mark Mooney of Belmont; and numerous nieces and nephews. Nellie was preceded in death by her parents, Ronald and Beatrice Mooney of Belmont, and two sisters, Linda and Joanne; and two brothers, Allen and Michael.

Nellie Ann Mooney was born in Belmont, Oct. 22, 1935. She grew up on her family farm in Belmont, received her primary education at St. John's School in Laconia, and graduated from Belmont High School and the Franklin Pierce Business College in Concord. Nellie began working for the State of New Hampshire in the Road Design Division. She later served as an Administrative Secretary at Tilton School for 18 years, seeing each of her four children graduate. While at the Tilton School, Nellie served as a Gordon Research Conference (GRC) Secretary during the GRC summer sessions. After leaving Tilton School, Nellie worked at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord for a short time. She finished her working career as an Administrative Assistant and Evening Receptionist at the Concord Community Music School, surrounded by people, purpose, and a program she dearly loved for more than 20 years.

Nellie loved spending time with her children, her grandchildren, her sisters, other family members, and her many close and dear friends. Her lifelong passions included gardening, she was an active New Hampshire Master Gardener, hiking, she traveled to Austria to hike in the Alps, enjoyed many days and 100's of miles on the mountain trails of New Hampshire, and one of her most memorable hikes was meeting her daughter, Julia, joined by her son, Mark, in Baxter State Park in Maine, to summit Mount Katahdin to culminate Julia's through-hike of the 2,181 mile-long Appalachian Trail, music, she loved all forms, and sang with the Songweavers, a women's vocal group in Concord, travel, she loved to visit her children spread across the United States, and visited Ireland and Italy for more hiking, and reading, she was a member of the local Owl's Book Discussion Group. 

Giving of herself was a large part of Nellie's life. She volunteered at the NH Veterans Home in Tilton, and served as a Town of Tilton's Election Ballot Clerk. Nellie was the Tilton co-chair for the George McGovern for President Committee during the 1972 national election, and a member of the New Hampshire Peace Action Group.

When her children were younger, she served as their Parent Teacher Organization Co-President, a Cub Scout Den Mother, and a Girl Scout Leader. In later years, she regularly volunteered at the Hall Memorial Library in Tilton, and was a Hall Memorial Library Trustee. Nellie wishes all who knew her to take a few moments to reflect on Nellie's life. Perhaps the next time you happen to plant a seed or harvest a tomato from your garden, find yourself admiring a beautiful view during a hike in the mountains, sing or hear a favorite song or read a good book…all activities Nellie thoroughly enjoyed, think of her, and how those simple things fully embody her spirit.

True to her nature, Nellie long ago decided to donate her body to the furthering of medical science at the Dartmouth Medical School. 

In lieu of flower  s, memorial contributions may be made to the Concord Community Music School, 23 Wall Street, Concord, NH 03301, or the Hall Memorial Library, 18 Park Street, Northfield, NH 03276, or the Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association/ Hospice, 30 Pillsbury Street, Concord, NH 03301, or Richard Brown House/ Volunteers of America, 1660 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA (www.voa.org).

As a sister, aunt, friend, and neighbor...as Nellie, Mom, and Nennie, she will be deeply missed by us all.

Nellie's life will be celebrated on Friday, the the 23rd of March at the Merrimack Valley Railroad Station located at 5 Park Street, Northfield, between the hours of 11:00 am and 2:00 pm.