As many know by now, Andover sadly lost one of its most hard-working, selfless, and well-respected residents on the early morning of November 16, her family by her side at the Main Street home she had lived in since 1989. The article below is filled with reflections about Pat’s efforts on behalf of our community. Her obituary is on page ??.

Pat’s Work with the Historical Society

In October 2018, Andover Historical Society past president Pat Cutter received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Historical Societies of New Hampshire.  The award was a formal recognition that Pat had for many decades “displayed outstanding volunteer commitment and contributed to state or local history in a substantial way that may be a model for others.” Following are passages from the November 2018 Beacon article announcing the honor.

”Pat Cutter has worked with the Andover Historical Society (AHS) for many years.  She joined the governing board in 1993 as Vice President – working alongside most of the founders of the organization.  She later served in a variety of other roles – Museum Director, Collections Curator, and Annual Fair Coordinator. She served as President for twelve years, from 1996-1998 and 2006-2016….

“Among her significant contributions to the AHS:

“Pat has organized the annual Old Time Fair for nearly two decades, turning it into a major event which educates and entertains while raising the bulk of the AHS funds every year. 

“Pat oversaw the acquisition of the Railroad Freight Shed and then coordinated the installation of a historical freight car at the Potter Place Rail Depot museum.

“She produced the annual AHS Calendar, which gives the community access to our photographic holdings and helps to raise funds.

“Pat brought the AHS into the computer age by acquiring the first computer for the organization, and overseeing the digitization of the AHS collections database.  She ensured that the oral histories held by the organization as audio cassettes were conserved into digital audio files as well as initiating a project to transcribe them, and personally transcribing a large number of them….

“In her role as a Cemetery Trustee, Pat has created a centralized catalogue of the gravestones and cemeteries in Andover (some of which date back to the middle of the 18th century).

“Pat has made an incalculable contribution in building the AHS collections.  She secured numerous donations and has always been active in identifying and liaising with donors, resulting in a richer set of collections and helpful future contacts for the Society.  She also organized the transfer of relevant items between the AHS and other local Historical Societies.

“Pat’s outreach has been unparalleled.  She engages the support and interest of professionals and local volunteers.  She has a knack for identifying the natural interests and potential of volunteers, inspiring people to take on new roles, and empowering them to work independently.  This base of local support allows the AHS to open its museums every weekend throughout the summer and to stage one of Andover’s two major community events.

“The practices and relationships that Pat has brought to the AHS over a quarter century will ensure the preservation and local appreciation of Andover’s history for decades to come.”

Friends and Colleagues Remember Pat

The Beacon reached out to several members of the Andover community for their thoughts and  memories of Pat Cutter.  Here are some responses:

From Gail Richards, current Andover Historical Society President: “Pat was always available to answer — or to find the answer — to all our questions.  Our go-to gal and mentor.  She’ll be sorely missed and always remembered.”

From Ed (a former AHS president) and Mary Hiller: “From the early days of the Andover Historical Society’s annual summer Fair (which began in 1989), Pat was very involved.  She took particular charge of the Flea Market and the Auction, which were the two largest money makers at the Fair, because she had been in the antiques business herself.  Every year she spent hours pricing donated items in the Freight Shed for the next Fair.

“But after she became President of the Society, the whole responsibility of the Fair rested on her shoulders.  She enlisted help from all interested Board members, but the major responsibility rested on her small, but broad, shoulders.  She took on any tasks that others would not fulfill and continued to be the sole person responsible for the pricing of all donated items.

“Besides the Fair, she was very much involved in the remodeling of the second floor of the Emons Store  as office and storage space. At the same time she saw to setting up of the climate control for archives stored in the second floor of the Station.  Then she had the thought of acquiring a freight car from a plumbing supply company in Concord to have more storage space and another railroad car on our bit of track.

“For many years as President, she ran the Society with a firm hand and always with herself as back-up if no one else volunteered for a job.”

From Deb Brower,  Andover Community Hub volunteer with Pat: “I was a little scared of Pat at first: She was forthright, spoke her mind, and made no bones about it. Those were the very qualities that I came to love. You always knew just where you stood with Pat and just what she thought. Pat put all of herself into what she believed in. She got right in there, gave generously of her funds, her time, and her effort.”

From Karen Lester, administrative manager, Kearsarge Area Council on Aging (KCOA):  “Pat’s diminutive size hid the powerhouse she was as a volunteer at the KCOA Chapin Senior Center. She began as a volunteer driver almost two decades ago. Pat was the person who rarely declined a drive, who would charge through any type of weather, and was often requested by clients who came to know her as a friend.”

“When not driving, Pat was a desk volunteer at the KCOA building. This crucial volunteer role requires much more than answering the phone. With kindness, professionalism, and a wonderful sense of humor, Pat could juggle each task with ease.”

From Jane Slayton, former AE/MS principal:  “Pat was always part of the fourth grade Historical Society visit every June. She was very involved in organizing, setting up, and hosting Andover, Webster, and Salisbury fourth graders.  She was also a regular judge for the program Odyssey of the Mind/Destination Imagination. This was a state and national creative problem-solving program for students in K-college.”

From Susan Schnare, a colleague on Andover’s Zoning Board of Adjustment and on the Cemetery Trustees: “Pat was head of the ZBA for many years. She always was very efficient and business-like and got things done. She catalogued all the cemeteries and input the information into a program so that people could access it from the Town Offices.  The work recording the cemeteries was major and took years.”

From Bill Keyser, a colleague on the Cemetery Trustees: “Pat served as a trustee for quite a few years before I joined and was chair of the trustees.  She had a wealth of knowledge about the cemeteries. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and stood up for the interests of the cemeteries and the trustees. She worked hard to keep the cemetery budget as low as possible to avoid raising taxes.”

From Bill Leber, a colleague in the Andover Lions Club: “Pat was a great lady, did so much for the town in so many ways.  She was a good member of the Lions and always willing to help with their projects.  But I actually knew her in other capacities before she joined the Lions.  Before she was a member, she had been chosen as the Granite State Fellow by the Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation of New Hampshire, having been nominated for the award by the Andover Lions for her community work in town.”

From Julie Mayo, a friend and rug-hooking mentor. “Anything Pat put her mind to, she did  perfectly.  She was a hard worker and paid a lot of attention to detail.  For about three years, I led a rug-hooking class at my house that Pat and others were involved in.  We had a great time and lots of fun.  The class worked together on the hooked rug showing Andover images that hangs in the lobby of the Town Hall, and we signed it “The Happy Hookers.”  Pat was also a great kayaker and gardener who loved her dog and was always doing something for a family member.”

From Jesse Schust, a former AHS president: Pat Cutter was central to the Andover Historical Society since 1993, including 12 years as President, as well as terms in other elected officer roles. Her work for the AHS was tireless, in steering the organization and in supporting and inspiring volunteers. Pat computerized the AHS’s archival catalogue, transcribed numerous oral history recordings, developed the Museum and ran a steady program of engaging events, preserved the AHS’s five buildings, brought the freight car to Andover, and cultivated an extensive and skilled body of volunteers. Her contribution to the AHS and to Andover is far greater than can be expressed here, and all of us who delighted in working alongside her will miss her as a friend.