Eleda Belle Stafford, 89 of Hillsboro, NH died Monday November 9, 2009 at the Hillsboro House Nursing Home.

Born in Henniker, NH on May 8,1920 to Henry White and Alice (Searles) White. She grew up in Henniker and graduated from Henniker High School in 1938.

She married Harold G. Stafford and moved to Hillsborough.  She and Harold had 4 children, Rodney (deceased), Kenneth, Leatrice, and Valerie.

She was a stay-at-home mom and enjoyed visiting with people and keeping up with all the local happenings. She was a member of  Smith Memorial Congregational Church UCC, Hillsborough Bird and Garden Club, Hillsborough Morning Extension, and the Deborah Society.

For many years she enjoyed going to Hillsborough-Deering High School basketball games and supporting all the kids as their “biggest fan”.  Because of this, she is in the Hillsborough-Deering High School Hall of Fame, of which she was very proud.

She was well known around town as “Leda, the Walker”, because she loved to walk and put on many miles during her lifetime.  She always had a smile for everyone she would meet and she would wave to people passing in cars, whether she knew them or not.  She will be greatly missed by many people: young, old and in-between.

Eleda was predeceased by her parents, her husband Harold, her son Rodney, her only sibling Ethel Holt, her son-in-law Beryl Forbes Jr., and her grandson Jeremy Forbes.

She is survived by her son Kenneth Stafford Sr.,her daughters Leatrice Forbes and Valerie Kulbacki, all of Hillsborough, NH, her six grandchildren: Kenneth Stafford Jr., Wade Stafford, Janice Stafford Caldwell of Hillsborough, Wendy Forbes-Brown of Albuqueque, NM, Kimberly Kulbacki Rosenfeld of  New York, NY, and Lindsay Kulbacki of Portsmouth, NH, ten great grandchildren, one great-great grandchild, and many friends and acquaintances.

A memorial service will be held Monday November 16, 2009 at 10.30 AM in the Smith Congregational Church in Hillsboro, NH.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Eleda B. Stafford Scholarship in care of: Valerie Kulbacki, P.O. Box 182, Hillsborough, NH.

The Holt-Woodbury Funeral Home & Cremation Service Hillsboro, NH is in charge of arrangements. For more information log on to www.holtwoodburyfh.com

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