Pauline S. Swain

BARRINGTON - Pauline Agnes (Swenson) Swain, (1917–2018), passed peacefully on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 as a centenarian at the age of 101.

She was born to Swedish parents in Everett, Mass. on July 20, 1917 and, after high school, moved with her family to her childhood summer home in Barrington, N.H. In 1936, she married Barrington native Ralph Swain (1919-1999) and raised four children - Richard, Beverly (Wood), Ralph and Nancy (Luchauer) Her family, including 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, live in New Hampshire, Florida, California, Michigan, South Carolina and Dubai. She leaves a brother Robert Taylor, a first cousin Ruth Allen, age 102, and a second cousin, Susan (Lawson) Ogburn.

Pauline was an avid historian and co-founder of the Barrington Historical Society. In 2011, she was presented with the Boston Post Cane as the oldest, long term resident of Barrington. She was an active member of the Barrington Congregational Church, Grange. the Garden Club and Women's Club.

While raising a family and working with her husband running Swain's Bus Service, she also became an accomplished craftswoman, most proficient in quilting and rug hooking. She continued enjoying and sharing her creative skills for over 75 years. As a fiber artist, she dyed and cut fabric and designed rugs and other unique handcrafted items. She was a member of the Granite State Rug Hooking Guild and the National Rug Hooking Guild. She taught hooking, continued to attend workshops and exhibited her work in various parts of the country.

Polly wore many hats and could drive all types of vehicles, from bicycles to school buses. She was hard to beat at Dominos or Scrabble and enjoyed playing games with her family. She loved camping and traveling, good fudge or a piece of pie. She enjoyed trips to the mountains, visits to the beach and keeping her gardens. Life was never dull.

SERVICES: Visiting Hours are Friday, Sept. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. A Celebration of Life will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 29, 2018 at the Purdy Funeral Home in Lee, N.H. Directly after the service, burial will be at the Pine Grove Cemetery followed by a reception at the Historical Society Building. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Barrington Historical Society or charity of choice.

To sign our online guestbook please go to www.purdyfuneralservice.com