Louise Conway Belden

Louise Conway Belden

AGE: 104 • Kennett Square, PA

Louise Conway Belden, writer, curator, lecturer, died at the age of 104, after a short illness at Kendal Retirement Community, Kennett Square. A resident of Wilmington with her husband Gail Belden from 1938 to 1984, she was active member of many community organizations: among them, the East End Neighborhood House, Junior Board of the Delaware Hospital, Flower Market, Travellers' Aid Assn, Wilmington Junior League, Drama League and The Brandywiners.

In 1952, the year the Winterthur Estate became a Museum, she began her 37-year career receiving a Master's degree in American Studies and the Winterthur Program of Early American Culture in 1958, and, as a curator, writing books ("The Festive Tradition: Table Decoration and Desserts in America, 1650 to 1900", published by W.W. Norton, 1983; "Collecting for Tomorrow: Spoons" with Michel Snodin, published by Walter Perrish Ltd., London , 1976; and "Marks of American Silversmiths in the Ineson-Bissell Collection" published by the University Press of Virginia in 1980), and lecturing on early American Social history across the country.

Daughter of Barret and Louise Shoenberger Conway of Winnetka, IL and sister of Elizabeth Conway Krog and Robert Barret Conway of LaJolla, CA, Mrs. Belden received a BA degree from Wellesley in 1931, worked for the Illinois Emergency Relief Commission during the Depression, married Gail Chester Belden in 1936, and had three children: Gail Chester, Jr. (who died of cancer at 52); Elizabeth, now Mrs. Lawrence S. Iwan of Rochester, NY; and Louise, now Mrs. Jonathan Fairbank of Santa Fe, NM), who gave her six grandchildren and seven great grandsons. Mr. Belden predeceased her by 19 years. They were members of Greenville Country Club and Christ Church Christian Hundred.

In 2006, Mrs. Belden, at 96, for her 75th reunion at Wellesley, led the Alumnae Parade without the help of cane or walker. At 97, she ended many years of writing the 1931 class notes for the Wellesley Magazine. She wrote book reviews at 98 for two book groups, exchanged e-mail with family and friends, did needlepoint and knitted.

A memorial service will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, September 5 at Kendal on Route 52 and Route 1. Instead of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Planned Parenthood of Southeastern PA, Development Office, 1144 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19107-6734; Winterthur Museum, Development Office, Winterthur, DE 19735; or Kendal Residents Assn., P.O. Box 100, Kennett Square, PA 19348.

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