Women of Strafford County

From the book "New Hampshire Women" A collection of portraits and biographical sketches of daughters and residents of the granite state, who are worthy representatives of their sex in the various walks and conditions of life. Published by The New Hampshire Publishing Co., Concord, NH, J.G. Patterson, Jr. President, ©1895

Winnifred Helen Berry 

This bright brunette is the younger of the very talented daughters of Mr. John M. and Mrs. Leah (Roberts) Berry of Farmington where she was born February 5, 1871. Of excellent New England ancestry, a quickwit, energy, and an attractive manner, Miss Berry makes success her willing servant in whatever she undertakes, whether it be in entertainments for worthy local purposes, in teaching, in crayon portraiture or landscape sketching, or in quaint and vivid pen-and-ink miniatures, of a startling likeness to their subjects. Miss Berry was graduated in her seventeenth year from the Farmington high school and began teaching in her native town in the autumn of the same year, in the primary department, filling her position with unusual ability, until, in the course of time, her merits caused her to be called to Concord, where she was assigned to the Penacook school building. an advantageous summons to Massachusetts led her to relinquish the Concord school in the course of her first year of residence in that city, and to go to Watertown, where she finds not alone an habitual success in teaching, but also the many opportunities for culture which can be obtained only in the vicinity of a large city. Thus in her few hours of freedom from school duties she pursues artistic work under skilled supervision and develops her fine gift for portraiture. As a teacher Miss Berry devotes her talent and experience to little children, making a specialty of primary work, instead of changing to one or another of different grades, and this is one of the secrets of her success as an educator. It need hardly be said that she is regarded with the fondest affection by her classes and with cordial appreciation by their parents and the school officers. Possessed of many resources for recreation, Miss Berry finds music chief of them, and plays the piano with a dramatic and poetic sense of her subject, which gives exceptional charm to her rendering of a composer's conception.

This wonderful file, a rare find, was submitted by Michelle McKenzie who at some personal cost donates them to share with you. Pictures scanned by Michelle McKenzie;
text transcribed by C. Parziale

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