GILMANTON ---- Elisabeth ‘Bette’ Correlle, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 7, 2024, on her 92nd birthday at Peabody Place in Franklin NH.
Bette was born in North Reading, Massachusetts, the daughter of Harry and Hildred (Eisenhaure) Merriman.
She lived on the Eisenhaure farm where they operated both the local school buses as well as grew hot house tomatoes, they sold to Boston restaurants. She graduated from Reading High School in the class of 1949, and then went on to Framingham Teachers College and Andover Junior College. She married and raised three children with her late husband Richard Grant in the neighboring town of Andover, Massachusetts.
Bette then married the late Bernard Correlle and moved south to be part of the endless summer sunshine of Kissimmee, Florida where they lived and worked for many years. At 60, she attended the University of Central Florida where she received an adult education teaching degree. She taught many to be safe school bus drivers for the Osceola School District Transportation Center where she then retired. In retirement, they both loved being snowbirds by following the sun from North to South, back and forth. They made many, many good friends along the way each year. They eventually decided to stay permanently in the North to be close to family in the Massachusetts and New Hampshire area.
At her home on “The Hill”, Bette with her friend Cliff enjoyed tending their vegetable garden and the many different varieties of flowers growing on her porch with a beautiful mountain view. She loved to feed and watch the wild birds and the deer that visited, reading the Parade section of the Sunday newspaper, completing word search games, and putting together jigsaw puzzles.
Last year, Bette moved into a lovely, assisted living apartment at Peabody Place in Franklin, NH. She met lots of new friends; Ed, thank you for your patience and guidance; Sophie, for your social fun gathering skills; Betsy, for your smiles and Terri; for your daily “Hello Bette” and your get-well cards. She loved playing and winning at BINGO and received the best of care from the whole staff; Nurses, LNAs, everyone - reception desk staff to maintenance crew. They all knew at mealtime, she wanted her soup first with the appropriate spoon, her special coffee cup and a big dish (or two) of classic vanilla ice cream for dessert! Thank you to all on the 2nd floor and to everyone at Peabody Place.
Bette is survived by her children, daughters Catherine Raulick and Sandra Grant and her son Peter Grant and their spouses. Bette also leaves Bernie’s children: Bernadette, Sandra, Leona, Patricia, Mary, Anne Marie and Paul, as well their combined families full of many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents, she is predeceased by her brother Richard Merriman.
A Celebration of Bette’s Life will be held in the spring at the Croswell Funeral Home, in North Reading, MA. A graveside interment will follow at the Riverside Cemetery, in North Reading, MA, where she will be laid to rest alongside her late husband Bernie Correlle.
For those who wish, contributions can be made in her name to the Sunshine Activity Fund for The Peabody Place Assisted Living residents, 24 Peabody Place, Franklin, NH 03235.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.