If you are interested in joining the association or learning more please contact Terrill Covey, chair of the membership committee at tmjcovey@gmail.com or Facebook Messenger or phone (603) 988-1322.
David H. and Mary F. Tewksbury Family Association
The purpose of the Association shall be to perpetuate the memory of David H. and Mary F. Tewksbury by forming a closer bond of friendship and cooperation among the descendants and their spouses and to maintain the homestead known as Windhaven.
Membership in the Association is open to any direct descendant of David H. and Mary F. Tewksbury, their spouses and children, whether natural, adopted or stepchildren.
Association Membership Drive
We have sent dues notices out to everyone on our family email list. If you did not receive a mailing please update your contact with the secretary (tewksburysecretary@gmail.com)
You can find the links to PayPal, Zelle and Venmo on the Dues and Donation page of the website or open the Google dues form (https://forms.gle/BXFnc5gDdCLBsb647) . Remember you can use a payment plan if you don’t want to pay all at one time. Only $17.50 per month to become a regular member but there are junior and senior categories!
Thanksgiving in October 2024
The threat of rain did not deter the small family group who gathered at the homestead on October 13 to celebrate Thanksgiving at Windhaven. We all appreciated the work of the Program Committee to plan and sponsor the lunch.
2025 Events
Reunion 2025
Our family reunion this year will take place the weekend of July 18, 19 and 20th. In a world that grows increasingly loud, hectic and confusing please join for a weekend of relaxation, good food and conversation.
We have planned a schedule free weekend (except for meals of course) to let everyone have the time to do whatever you want, from mountain climbing to quiet conversations on the front lawn. Please feel free to bring games and sporting equipment and don’t forget your bug spray.
Friday and Saturday nights are BYO. We will have the fires ready to cook by 5:30 pm and all the supplies we need for S’mores at the end of the meal. And on Saturday night we will have a birthday cake to celebrate Mary’s birthday!
Our first communal meal is the Directors Blueberry Brunch scheduled for Saturday morning at 11:00. This meal will consist of your choice of plain or blueberry pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, melon, fresh fruit salad, homemade toast and muffins, juice and coffee. RSVP here (https://forms.gle/FKMR1nkuF8cwrBL59)
Sunday, July 20, will of course be our annual potluck picnic lunch at 12:30. We want to have the kitchen clean and available for lunch preparations by 10:30 am. Please make sure to plan your breakfast accordingly.
A couple of things to keep in mind for this (and future) years. We are trying to move to a “carry in/carry” out philosophy to make clean up easier for all of us. If you are staying at the house, please bring your own bedding with you. While we have bedding on hand if you forget, the post reunion laundry is a big job for one person and we are trying to make it easier for all of us. As you can imagine we generate a lot of refuse by the end of the weekend. If everyone would be willing to take some of the accumulated waste with you, we will be able to limit the dump runs to the garbage.
Reunion 50/50 Fundraiser
This year, is the 150th anniversary of David & Mary buying Windhaven.
In honor of the anniversary, Pearle Butler is selling 150 raffle tickets for $10.00 each. The winner will get $750 and the other half will go into the maintenance fund. In the event she is unable to sell them all, the proceeds of whatever has been sold will be divided equally.
We will have the drawing after lunch on reunion Sunday, July 20. The winner doesn’t have to be there to win. But we hope he/she, will be!
Please contact Pearle if you’re interested in buying tickets. There will also be additional items in the raffle including several pint bottles of maple syrup, a ribbon pillow, and a Vespertine gift basket. If anyone wants to donate more prizes, the fun will last and tickets will be drawn until everything has been won.
Pearle’s contact information:
- DANPRLEBUTLER@ aol.com
- Home phone 1-802-433-9862
- Cell phone 1-802-793-3793
- Mailing address is 3101 Chelsea Rd / Williamstown, VT / 05679
- If sending a check, please make it out to Pearle. She will cash them so that she can have cash for the winner that day.
- You can Venmo, PayPal or Zelle to Bond using the information on the Dues and Donation page of the website. Make sure you indicate what the money is for.
Saturday Night Fireworks
We are planning (weather permitting) our annual fireworks display on Saturday night. Jess Robertson will coordinate donations and the purchase of the fireworks this year. Payment can be made by Venmo, Facebook Pay and cash app. For information on how to donate please contact Thea Gaudette (theagaudette@gmail.com).
Recent Donations to the Association
Jane & Robert Clee
Danina DiBattista & Preston Turner
Randall Fullam
Jess & Nate Gidding support the website
Anne & Henry Jedraszczak
Bob & Laura Tewksbury
John H. Turner
2025 Maintenance Projects
Memory garden extension
- Build a new sandbox
- Empty the outhouse
- Finish the barn
- Complete exterior trim on the end wall next to the house.
To read the Building Audit click to download.
Bond, Terrill and Mike installed the support posts on August 3.
August 17
The hornets objected to work being done near their nest. Despite spraying Bond was bitten five times and he and Terrill decided to call it a day.
Bond plans to go to Windhaven in June to install the trim, soffit and apply another coat of stain weather and wasps cooperating.
Association Calendar
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
Onboarding Directors Meeting | Sunday, July 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Windhaven |
Family Reunion Weekend 2025 | July 20, 2025 Potluck Lunch at 12:30 PM |
Mary Frances and David Henry Tewksbury
Mary Frances Langley
Mary was born July 18, 1846 to Andrew “Blacksmith” Langley and Lois Sanborn in N. Wilmot, NH. They lived on the Piper Pond Road. Mary’s occupation was listed as a school teacher when she was married to David Henry Tewksbury on July 18, 1866 by his stepfather Rev John M. L. Babcock in Springfield, NH.
To raise extra money Mary would knit toes and heels into socks from the Sulloway Hosiery Mill in Franklin, NH for $0.20 per dozen pair. Once the mill found a way to knit on the toes and heels in two parts, Mary would sew the parts together with a darning needle with a designated stitch with yarn furnished by the mill. For this she was paid $0.10 a dozen pairs.
Sheep were raised on the farm and some wool was sold and some was cleaned, carded at the mill and shaped into balls. Mary would spin the wool into yarn and knit mittens and socks. Mary was a consummate reciter of poetry from memory. She had great musical ability and a splendid alto voice. She liked to go berry picking barefoot for any kind of berries. She would make pies and gems for breakfast and berries and milk for supper.
Tradition tells us that Mary would mark her pies with TM. For the mince pies, it meant “tis mince” and for the other pies it meant “taint mince.” Some of her descendants continue this tradition at Thanksgiving.
Seldon said the children referred to Mary as Marm. Mary died January 5, 1929 in Manchester, NH. She is buried in the Tewksbury Cemetery in N. Wilmot, NH.
David Henry Tewksbury
David was born to Miriam Tewksbury and Israel Perrin on January 26, 1844. His parents were married February 26, 1842. It was discovered that Israel was already married and they separated. David was adopted by his grandfather, Henry Tewksbury, Jr. His mother married Reverend John Martin Luther Babcock, a Free Will Baptist minister and a widower with a child, Martha Anna Babcock on April 5, 1849. He had four half siblings, Lilla Babcock, Sophia Babcock, Charles S. Babcock and Milton Babcock.
David served in the 4th Regiment NH Volunteer during the Civil War. The rheumatism he suffered later in life was thought to be related to sleeping on the ground during the war. In the 1860’s and 1870’s he worked as a section hand on the railroad. On the farm, David kept a few sheep and used oxen to work the land. David planted potatoes, corn and beans for the family to use and some to sell or swap for groceries. They also grew watermelons and muskmelons.
Blanche remembered her father as a hard working man, really talented in some respects having had few educational advantages. He had a fine talent for dramatic lines and was very generous. Buy a bushel of potatoes from him and he would throw in a peck for good measure. Blanche says he had a musical ear but couldn’t carry a tune. Some of her older siblings spoke of him as being a bit severe in discipline but to Blanche he was always gentle and jovial. David liked to dress up and play Santa Claus at Christmas.
David married Mary Frances Langley on July 18, 1866. He worked as a farmer most of his life. He died April 13, 1897 and is buried in the Tewksbury Cemetery in N. Wilmot, NH.
Please direct any corrections or ideas for additional content to Cheryl Davis at cluisedavis@gmail.com.