“Not all of us can do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa
SHUTESBURY- After a 15 month battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Anne-Marie Kenerson passed on to heaven while surrounded by her family on March 25, 2020 in her home of 55 years in Shutesbury, MA.
Pre-deceased by her parents, Stanley and Ruth Thompson, Anne leaves behind her loving husband and best friend of 55 years, Laurey Kenerson; her sister Carolyn Brown of Fredericton, Canada; her three daughters, Wendy Priestley of Swanzey, NH, Kirsten Boucher of Merrimack, NH, and Kerri Yates of Mount Pleasant, SC; her six grandchildren, Meaghan and Duncan Priestley, Corrianna and Kyralynn Boucher, and Dougie and Eddie Yates; her sister by choice Lucy Peck; and the many friends she considered family.
Anne graduated from Umass Amherst in 1964 with a degree in Home Economics Education. She began her career teaching in Hartford, CT, until she moved on to marry her husband and grow his home-based business. She was a woman of all tasks, which enabled him to pursue his outdoor work. While also raising their family, Anne was an active member of her community. She was a chairman of the Shutesbury Library Trustees, designed and rebuilt the Honor Roll, and planted and cared for the town flowers for more than 50 years.
In recent years, she designed and helped renovate the kitchen at their church, The Central Congregational Church in New Salem, MA, to bring it up to code to allow for public access. She was also a longtime member of the Athol Memorial Ladies Auxiliary and the Athol Women’s Club (both in MA) as well as the Elkins Ladies Benevolent Society in New London, NH.
Anne was incredibly creative and enjoyed sewing, quilting, and many other crafts. She made beautiful clothes and unique Halloween costumes for her children and grandchildren, built and decorated dollhouses for charity raffles and grandchildren, and decorated highly-anticipated cakes for birthdays and weddings.
Supporting charities and bringing love into people's lives was an essential aspect of her life. She made many raffle items to support causes, visited the homebound and the elderly, and delighted friends and family with her homemade Valentines, Easter, and Thanksgiving cards. She personified Mother Teresa’s quote (as above) and will be missed by all until we rejoin her in heaven.
In place of an immediate service, a celebration of life will be held in the late Spring or early Summer.
At her request, there will be an ample amount of food served (Anne always made sure everyone could partake in second, or even third helpings of her wonderful cooking.)
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607.
Witty’s Funeral Home, 158 South Main Street, Orange, is assisting the family.
You may offer your sympathy online at WWW.WITTYFUNERALHOME.COM
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