Carolyn Stevenson Bedford

Carolyn Stevenson Bedford passed away March 12, 2023. She was born to true New Hampshirestock in the farmhouse that had belonged to her family since the mid-1800's. Both sides of herfamily could trace their roots back in New Hampshire into the early 19th century, with a fewbranches even into the 17th. Family lore tells us that her birth was celebrated by bringing indoorplumbing to the farm.Ayers Lake Farm had been a destination for summer tourists and boarders since the 1890s. Itwas literally the end of the road until the 1930's when US 202 was built and the road wasextended through the property to the next town and beyond. Carolyn had memories of herfamily providing sandwiches to foot travelers during the Depression. To minimize Carolyn'sisolation as an only child, her parents would often bring her school friends to the farm to play.Carolyn attended schools in Barrington and Rochester, graduating from Spaulding High School in1947 where she picked up the nickname "Stevie." Upon graduation, she made the bold move toattend Russell Sage College, in Troy, NY, an all-women's institution. She majored inmerchandising, and her yearbook entry described her as "winsome."After graduation in 1951, she went to work at Filene's in Boston, marrying her collegesweetheart Lt. JG Clay (Pat) Bedford in December 1951. Pat was then in the Navy, and theyrelocated to Port Hueneme, CA while Pat underwent training. They were assigned to a post atthe Naval Air Station Norfolk VA, where her two sons, Tom and Steven, were born. In late 1954they moved to the San Francisco Bay area following Pat's incipient engineering career.When Pat joined Kaiser Engineers in 1953, Carolyn began a lifetime of travel with her husbandand two young boys. Pat's career took them from Oakland, California to small towns in many ofthe western states and back to Oakland. In 1962, they moved from Mountain Home, Idaho toMontreal while Pat worked on the development of an iron ore mine in Labrador. Their daughterHilary was born that same year. Then began a series of moves between Kaiser's headquarters inOakland, California, and Montreal. Pat began work for Fluor Engineering in 1978, and theymoved to Laguna Beach, California, with a year long posting in London in 1980. During theseyears of nomadic living, Carolyn supported local organizations, becoming an active member ofthe American Women's Club in Montreal, and later London, and the Assistance League inLaguna Beach. Their busy lifestyle calmed down and they settled in to the West Coast for goodin the early 1980s.Or so they thought. Upon the death of Carolyn's father in 1987, they once again pulled up stakesand returned to Carolyn's childhood home in Barrington, New Hampshire. This time, the movewas permanent. As a couple they took on the task of running Ayers Lake Campground andCottages. After her husband's passing, Carolyn continued to manage the enterprise until herdeath.Carolyn is survived by her children Thomas Bedford, Steven Bedford (Laura), and HilaryParkhurst (Charles), nine grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Carolyn'sLife will take place on Saturday, June 3 at 1 pm, Ayers Lake Farm, 497 Washington Street,Barrington, New Hampshire. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Southern NewEngland Land Trust, (SELT), Russell Sage College, or the Visiting Nurse Association.