Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: October 2003 Volume 40 Number 4, Page 143

IN MEMORIAM

Page 143

CLAIRE COLES ETHERTON

Claire Etherton, a former member of the Tredyffrin Easttown History Club and a contributor to its Quarterly, passed away on June 24, 2003 at Tel Hai Nursing Center in Honey Brook.

She was born on March 5, 1911 at Atlantic City, New Jersey and graduated from West Chester Teacher's College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education. Over the years she taught at Bristol, Philadelphia, Tredyffrin-Easttown, and West Chester school districts.

Her career was interrupted during World War II when she enlisted in the newly formed WAAC (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps), later the WAC. She described her three-year army career in a Quarterly article: basic training at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, administrative clerk's training at Nagadoches, Texas, and finally, assignment to Hamilton Air Force Base outside San Francisco.

Claire made her home at the Tel Hai Retirement Community since 1987, but continued to volunteer at the Chester County Historical Society. She is survived by daughter Patricia, son Larry, and two grandchildren. We are grateful for her efforts in support of the Club.

MARY STEVENSON LAMBORN

Mary Lamborn, a member of the History Club since 1991, died July 25, 2003. She was the wife of the late Theodore C. Lamborn, who died in 1976. Mary and Theodore raised three sons, Ted, John, and Bob. They were blessed with four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Born March 1, 1914 on Maple Avenue, Paoli, Mary was the only daughter in a family of five sons. Her father farmed for A.B. Coxe, and she grew up around the Coxe farm on South Valley Road. She worked as a waitress at the Windmill Tea Room in Paoli and graduated in the Class of 1932 of Tredyffrin-Easttown High School. Mary and Theodore were married in 1941 and lived on Knox Avenue in Berwyn, and later on Rose Lane in Daylesford. Mary loved to walk. She never learned to drive and regularly walked from Daylesford to Berwyn for church or shopping.

Mary was a saver and made gifts of valued artifacts to the History Club: a complete set of all thirty-eight issues of the Berwyn Post published between 1943 and 1946, and many photographs and newspaper clippings. She contributed several articles to the Quarterly, and until her health failed, she always attended Club meetings. She loved what she had, and what she did not have, she did not miss. But we all miss her.