NEWBURYPORT, Mass. Ashley Webster, 100, died peacefully Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009, in Newburyport, Mass. He was born July 12, 1908, at home in Castine. His parents, James Merritt and M. Estelle (Bowden) Webster, both died when he was very young. He was raised by his uncle and aunt, Devereux and “Bertie” (Webster) Hanson; and his great-uncle, “Grampy” Albert Webster. He was an educator in Maine for 39 years. He started his career as a teaching principal at a one-room rural school in Trenton, grades 1-8, in 1929. While living in Newport in the 1940s, he was chief registrar for issuing ration books during World War II. He later served in the Lincoln school system for 23 years and was the first principal at Ella P. Burr School. He helped organize the Lincoln PTA and the first Adult Education Program in Lincoln. He also worked for Hart Seed Co., for many summers. He was married for nearly 53 years to his beloved wife, Ruby (Dunfee) Webster of Bradford in 1935. They were loving and dedicated parents to their three children. They loved spending their summers at Morse’s Cove, Castine, where his family has owned land since 1832, spanning seven generations. Most importantly, they were both believers in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They were members of Lincoln Center Baptist Church for many years. In 1996 he and one of his grandsons, David Lobley, co-authored a book entitled “From Out of the Past Speaks Morse’s Cove,” which chronicles their family and Castine area history. He truly cherished his family and friends. He enjoyed traveling, including a 9,411-mile trip across the U.S. in 1932, vegetable gardening and carpentry. He regularly drove to visit the elderly and ill well into his 90s – often reading Scripture and poetry, and praying for them. He was predeceased by his wife, Ruby; brother, Guy; and sisters, Phyllis, Anna, Alice and Nellie. He is survived by his three children and their spouses, Carol and Douglas Lobley of Georgetown, Mass., Mary and Elden Seeley of Lynn, Mass., and Merritt and Helen Webster of Cushing; eight grandchildren and their spouses, Peter Lobley, David and Kimberly Lobley, Richard and Carla Lobley, Jonathan Seeley, James Seeley, Katrina Webster, Merritt Aaron Webster and Nathan and Molly Webster; nine great-grandchildren, Kendra, Christopher, Mariah and Stephen Lobley, Heather, Hannah and Amanda Lobley, Kaitlyn Seeley and Emma Webster; many nieces and nephews from several generations. He was a committed Christian and a much-loved patriarch of his family. He will be remembered as a kind, well-respected and honest man. A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at New England Bible Church, 60 Chandler Road, Andover, Mass. There will be a reception at the church after the service. Donations in his memory may be made to Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607-3000. To sign the online guest book, please visit www.contefuneralhomes.com.
ASHLEY JOSEPH WEBSTER
