Evelyn Auger

Sanbornton- After a valiant fight with cancer, we lost a strong, independent, knowledgeable woman, Evelyn Auger, on July 22, 2023. She never lost her fighting spirit, making her own decisions, "driving the van" as she called it, to the very end. Throughout her final hospitalization, she was surrounded by her loving family, giving her strength and support throughout. Evelyn passed away early in the morning with her daughter Carole Barbour and granddaughter Quinn Barbour by her side.
Evelyn was born to Harold Corliss and Marjorie Elliott on September 18, 1933, at their home in the Old Hill Village. Her birth was a difficult one, and Evelyn often shared how it was a midwife who removed her caul and put her on the warming shelf in the cookstove to keep her warm, while many others weren't sure she would survive. Evelyn did more than survive ­– she thrived and lived fully.
She married her husband, Jean Auger in 1950, and they shared 72 years together. Together they raised five children: Michael, Paul, Carole, Gregg, and Christopher. Despite being a busy mother, she worked at a wide range of jobs over the years. Early on, her varied work experience included stitching in a factory; selling a house as a realtor; working as a switchboard operator and file clerk at the Laconia Clinic; and spending 15 years as a route cashier and billing clerk for Weeks Dairy. For much of her later career she worked in various departments for the State of New Hampshire including the Department of Employment Security, Division of Welfare, and Division of Mental Health. During these years, she held roles that included receptionist, case technician determining financial eligibility, trainer, financial agent, auditor, and estate appraiser. Her work often took her throughout the state, something of which she was both proud and conscientious.
Evelyn was smart, inquisitive, and curious. She loved to fill her free time with her eclectic hobbies. These passions varied greatly over time, but included reading, particularly about historical topics and eras; crafting, often in the form of knitting, cross-stitch, and leather tooling; researching genealogy for her background as well as her husband's family; buying and selling costume jewelry; raising purebred collies for dog shows; collecting wedding dresses, photos, and wedding accouterments; building and furnishing doll houses, some of which represented past relatives' careers and homes; researching and cataloguing British royalty; collecting and researching muskets and armaments from the Revolutionary War; and more. Whenever Evelyn discovered a new interest, she would jump in whole-heartedly and become an unofficial expert on the topic, which always made conversations with her interesting and informative.
One interest that never waned was Evelyn's love for history. Early on she had an interest in Colonial Williamsburg, the Civil War, and the United States' Bicentennial. In her later years, she would take her grandson and granddaughter to Revolutionary War and French & Indian War reenactments and rendezvous. She invited many others to join them on these adventures, dressing them all in hand-sewn outfits, and providing them with period-appropriate equipment. She helped found a Revolutionary War era reenactment group, the Chase Taylor Militia, that celebrated real soldiers from Sanbornton who served in the American Revolution. This group would camp both in town and throughout the state, providing demonstrations of life in the late 1700s.
Evelyn loved to share her knowledge with others. She did public presentations across the state on Mary Baker Eddy, Victorian mourning, the dam built between Franklin and Hill, Revolutionary War soldiers from Sanbornton, and Civil War letters written by Sanbornton soldiers while they were away at war. Many of these performances were done in accurate historical costuming with authentic exhibits. In addition, Evelyn would also present on a variety of historical topics for the Sanbornton Historical Society. She was often referred to as the "Sanbornton Historian" due to her wealth of knowledge, collections of photographs and historical resources, and research skills. Every question was a new opportunity for her to learn more about a topic or share what she already knew. Evelyn was dedicated to preserving the history and knowledge of Sanbornton and wrote several books to accomplish that including "Hannah Lane of the Center Square", a children's book about a little girl who lived at Lane Tavern in 1838; "365 Todays", the original 1868 diary of John Morrison Blaisdell who was a Sanbornton resident and farmer; and "Alphonse Auger", a biography of her father-in-law and his roots. She also has three other books in progress, all focused on the region and its history.
She also spent much of her time serving her community. Evelyn was member of the Planning Board for more than 20 years, serving as chairman multiple times. She was a library trustee, selectman, and a long-time member of the Sanbornton Historical Society, including time as its president. When asked what committees she served on in town, Evelyn would often joke that she "was on all but the Parks Department."
Evelyn is survived by son Paul Auger of Northfield; daughter Carole and son-in-law Kevin Barbour of Sanbornton; son Gregg and daughter-in-law Pam Auger of Sanbornton; son Christopher and daughter-in-law Debbie Auger of Sanbornton; and daughter-in-law, Jeanne Auger of Tilton. She was always supportive, involved, and interested in the lives of her 11 grandchildren: Scott Auger and Sarah Sachetta; Matthew Auger and Kim Peele; Quinn Barbour and Kier Barbour; Thomas Grover, Eli Auger, and Lynzey Ly; and Natalie Kitching-Rajak and Nicole Boose. She is also survived by 24 great-grandchildren. Evelyn has one remaining sister-in-law, Pat Auger of Bristol, and many nieces and nephews.
Evelyn lost her husband, Jean Auger, earlier this summer on June 11, 2023. She was also predeceased by her mother, Marjorie (Elliott) Rice and stepfather Merville Rice; her father Harold Corliss and stepmother Eileen (Rand) Corliss; her son, Michael Auger; her daughter-in-law, Dayle Auger; and some of her great-grandchildren.
As per the family's request there will be no calling hours. Instead, a graveside service will be held on Saturday, August 19 at 1:00 at the family cemetery, Shadagee Mountain Cemetery at 150 Hale Road in Sanbornton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sanbornton Historical Society: 520 Sanborn Road, PO Box 204, c/o Betsy Bryant.
The family would like to express thanks to Ray Neun of Thibault-Neun Funeral Home in Franklin for his kindness and professionalism during this difficult time.
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