Jeannette Mary Ellingwood

LEMINGTON, VERMONT -- Jeannette Mary (Holbrook) Ellingwood, 79, “The Lemington Monkey Lady”, passed away on Saturday afternoon, April 5, 2008, at the Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital surrounded by her loving family and several monkeys from her collection. Jeannette was born in Lemington, VT, on February 28, 1929, on the farm of her late parents, Theodore Holbrook and Mary Jane (Annis) Holbrook. Her formal education began in Lemington’s one-room school house. She was a graduate of Colebrook Academy Class of 1947. Married soon after high school, she and her former husband, Ernest, had one son, Reginald, their pride and joy. She was a proud Vermonter and resided within five miles of the Columbia Bridge her whole life. She served as Lemington Town Clerk for 22 years and Town Treasurer for 31. She was a part-time ‘snip and clip’ proofreader for the News & Sentinel for over a decade. She contributed to the newspaper as a correspondent, diligently reporting the Lemington news, particularly the Sims Hill neighborhood as she resided at “the foot of the hill”. She joined the Eureka Chapter #2 OES of Colebrook in April of 1963 and served the organization as Warder. She was a member the Colebrook Ski Bees, Canaan Border Riders, and one of the original Lemington Stillbillies. An avid snowmobiler, she was a member of the famed Hardy Girls, her “dear sisters” with whom she snowmobiled every Thursday afternoon without fail for over 14 years beginning in the 1970’s. Visiting Benson’s Wild Animal Farm as a child and making many trips to Granby Zoo in Quebec led to a great fascination and fanatic passion for monkeys. She collected over 300 stuffed monkeys, many received as gifts and often named in honor of that person. Jeannette leaves behind her son, Reginald E. Ellingwood and his wife, Myra, of Lemington, VT; her dear companion of many years, Mallett A. “Andy” Anderson of Pittsburg, NH; four beloved granddaughters, Sharon Ellingwood of North Stonington, CT, Tricia Ellingwood of Gorham, NH, Beth Walter and husband, Jason, of Watford City, ND, and Jeannette Hook and husband, Daniel, of Brunswick, VT; and five great-grandchildren, Joe Ellingwood, Macala, Adrienne and Maya Hook and Samuel Villa. She was preceded in death by her sister, Virginia (Holbrook) MacDonald, who passed away March 31, 2008. Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2008, from 7-9 p.m. at the Jenkins & Newman Funeral Home in Colebrook with an Eastern Star service to be held at 6:45 p.m. prior to calling hours by Eureka Chapter #2 OES. A funeral service will be conducted on Wednesday, April 9th at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home with The Reverend Craig Cheney officiating. An interment service will be held on Sunday, May 25th at 11:30 a.m. at Colebrook Village Cemetery.

Jeannette Mary Ellingwood

February 28, 1929 - April 5, 2008