Amesbury — Helen Louise (Harris) Taft, age 98, passed away peacefully Tuesday, September 25, at Maplewood Health Care in Amesbury. She was born April 2, 1914 in Lynn, the daughter of the late Roy Edward Harris of Groveton, N.H. and Hilda Emerson Oakes of New Albany, NS.
She lived on Ferry Road in Newburyport most of her life, in the Harris home. She married her childhood sweetheart John Taft (1910-2003) at the age of 86, Dec. 9, 2000 in Newburyport.
Helen was a member of Newburyport Central Congregational Church since the 1930s. She worked many years at Towle Silver Company.
Helen was predeceased by her husband; a sister Viola Patricia (Harris) (Swap) Hall (1916-1998); a brother Frank Oakes Harris (1918-1996), and his sons Gregory Oakes Harris (1949-1996) and Paul Edward Harris (1952-2012).
Helen is survived by her sister Kathleen (Harris) Poirier of Haverhill; two nieces, Cynthia Ann Poirier and husband Roland Rhoades of Gorham Maine, and Cathy Ann Fowler of Merrimac, and grandnieces Laura Ann Fowler Das and Amy Elizabeth Fowler, and by grandnephews Gregory and Christopher Harris.
Helen was a loving aunt, always there for her nieces and nephews. She spent time with them and baked her delicious desserts. She was also known for her wonderful memory and in her 90s, helped identify most of the people in the old collection of family photographs, the Oakes family of Nova Scotia and the Harris and Bucknam families of Groveton N.H. The Oakes family traced back to multiple Mayflower passengers, and the Bucknam family traced back to First Settler of Newbury, Henry Lunt. Helen had made visits back to Nova Scotia to visit the old homestead, and had family heirlooms passed down over the past century.
The family thanks the staff of Maplewood for their loving care.
Burial will be beside her husband in Belleville Cemetery, Newburyport.
ARRANGEMENTS: Calling hours at Elliott, Woodworth & Rogers Family Funeral Home, 35 Green Street, Newburyport will be Friday, Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. immediately followed by a funeral service at 12 pm.
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