Priscilla Yardley died February 3, 2019 at Applewood Rehabilitation Center in Winchester. She was born September 5, 1928 in Keene, the oldest of three daughters of Charles T. and Alice (Capron) Richardson. Priscilla grew up on her parents’ farm in Marlborough. When she married, she went west on Richardson Road for a quarter mile and then north on Horse Hill Road for another three-quarters of a mile to arrive at Horse Hill Farm where she would reside for the rest of her life.
On October 23, 1948, Priscilla married her high school sweetheart, William Yardley. They were married at the Federated Church of Marlborough with family and friends in attendance. Bill predeceased her in early 2013, after more than 64 years of marriage.
Priscilla graduated from Marlborough High School in 1946 and from Becker College in 1948. She worked for Peerless Insurance for 18 years and served the town of Roxbury as tax collector for 30 years, but most of her energies were devoted to raising her five children and in her later years supporting and enjoying her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Priscilla loved to sing. She sang for many years in the choir of the Federated Church of Marlborough. She was also a longtime member of the Keene Pops Choir and traveled with that group on its overseas tours. She continued to sing right to the end, often at the Castle Center in Keene and even most recently at Applewood. She also loved sports, especially the Red Sox and the Patriots, and could be counted on to be on the sidelines when one of her kids or grandkids had a game.
Priscilla is survived by four children: Cynthia (David) Jewett of Roxbury, Charles (Christie) Yardley of Keene, Steven (JoAnne) Yardley of Roxbury and Randall (Barbara) Yardley of Swanzey; 12 grandchildren: Katharine (Mark) Jewett of Wallingford, CT, Sarah (Justin) Neutra of Marlborough, Spencer (Carrie) Yardley of Keene, Patrick Yardley of Keene, Scott (Lindsay) Yardley of Quincy, MA, Emily (Travis) Yardley of Fayetteville, PA, Courtney (Shawn) Welch of Berwick, ME, Hillary (David) Stickney of Swanzey, Jeremy (Laura) Brosnahan of Eugene, OR, Matthew Yardley of Swanzey, Jennifer Yardley of Myrtle Beach, SC and Kristin Yardley also of Myrtle Beach, and 21 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Eleanor Adams of Westmoreland, her sisters-in-law Gwen Yardley of Walpole and Barbara Watterson of Marlborough and her brother-in-law James Yardley of Winchester. She was predeceased by her husband, her sister Thelma McKenzie, her son Lawrence Yardley and her great granddaughter baby Evelyn Yardley.
Although they lived their entire adult lives in one place, Priscilla and Bill were never people to let the grass grow under their feet. By the time they stopped traveling, they had visited most of the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, South Africa, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, England, France and (with the Pops Choir) other European countries. In their retirement years, they loved to roam the back roads of Cheshire County, revisiting old places and discovering new ones, and almost always bumping into someone they knew. It was a hard day when they had to give up driving (so hard that even after they “gave up”, they’d occasionally get their hands on some car keys and disappear for an afternoon or even a whole day). They enjoyed adventure and laughter and had a lot of both in their time here.
A memorial service will take place on Saturday morning, February 9, 2019 at 10:00 am at the Federated Church of Marlborough, 16 Pleasant Street, Marlborough, NH. Calling hours will be Friday, February 8th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Fletcher Funeral Home, 33 Marlboro Street, Keene, NH.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Federated Church of Marlborough, 16 Pleasant Street, Marlborough, NH 03455 (www.FederatedChurchMarlborough.org) or to the Castle Center, PO Box 564, Keene, NH 03431 (www.hcsservices.org). The family wishes to extend their sincere thanks to the Castle Center for the loving care Priscilla received there over several years and to the Applewood Center for the excellent care she received there during her final days.
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