Alice Louise Callis

NASHUA, N.H. – Seventy-five years ago, Alice Louise Callis met David Yeaton of Belgrade at a Youth Fellowship gathering. Soon they were married and were constant companions from 1949, on. With her family by her side, Louise, 92, passed away on May 20, 2024, after a brief illness.

Louise was born on Jan. 5, 1932, in Lynn, Mass. to James Callis of Leicester, England and Florence (Graves) Callis of Marblehead, Mass. Louise grew up in Lynn, Mass. and graduated from Lynn Classical High School in 1949, then went on to nursing school for two years.

She was very active in her church and Dave, who had recently been employed by General Electric on the apprentice program in Lynn, Mass., had joined her church. Later, after raising four children, she continued her education at Mohawk Valley Community College SUNY, Utica, N.Y. where she earned an associate degree in Accounting in 1980. Always curious, she never stopped reading, writing poetry and learning.

She would always share her knowledge of gardening, baking, current events, sewing, and Life. She was a very loving wife and a nurturing mother and to all a generous, caring person who always put others before herself.

She and her husband contributed many years of service at Christ Community Church in Utica, N.Y., the Methodist Church in Marcy, N.Y. and St. James United Methodist Church of Merrimack, N.H.

Louise followed her love of music by playing bugle in the Drum and Bugle Corps as a teenager, had a piano nearby most of her life which she loved to play, sang in many church choirs and community choruses, and enjoyed dancing and toe-tapping at every opportunity.

Recently, her most cherished activity included crocheting hats, scarves, and mittens for the deployed active-duty military and she always donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. Louise loved to cook meals and all sorts of baked goods for her husband and family. She would always be “up” for playing board games, doing Sudoku and puzzles and to anyone who ever played cards with her, she could be the most skilled cutthroat – she was always on top of her game. Family summer vacations in the Belgrade Lakes area of Maine were a great joy to Louise and the highlight of each year where the large extended family gatherings were always well attended.

In her way, Louise was adventurous. She tried Alpine skiing in her youth, then took up cross-country skiing in her late 50s with her married children. Louise and Dave camped with their young family, first by tent, then with a tent-trailer – seeing much of America. In later years they traveled to Alaska, Hawaii and several trips to Europe.

Her family knew her to be very sentimental. In March of 2021, during a pandemic-style outdoors gathering to celebrate their 70th anniversary, Louise read aloud a poem that she had written to Dave when they first met.

In addition to her parents, Louise was predeceased by her siblings Lilly, Kenneth, Gertrude and Frederick Callis; her grandson, Paul Pritchard; and son-in-law Dick Hanaway.

Louise is survived by her husband of 73 years, David F. Yeaton; daughters Susan and her husband George, of Keene N.H., Betty of Holderness, N.H., Janice of Lynn, Mass., son, Steven and his wife Karen of Merrimack, N.H.; her niece, Norma of Wakefield, Mass.; granddaughters Erika, Jaclyn and her husband Tyler, and her granddaughter-in-law, Cara, grandsons Bryan, and Johnathan and his partner Mary; and four great-grandchildren, Abigail, Alana, Donny and Logan.

We invite you to join us as we celebrate the wonderful life of Louise. There will a memorial service on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 11 a.m., in the St. James United Methodist Church, 646 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, N.H., followed by refreshments in the fellowship hall.

Kindly visit rivetfuneralhome.com to leave an online condolence for the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Louise’s honor to the Wounded Warrior Project. To donate over the phone please call 855-448-3997 or visit their website at http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org.