NEW LISBON — Doris P. Shields, 84, died at A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta on April 22, 2003.
Doris was born in Cazenovia, on April 20, 1919. She was the daughter of Thorvald Pederson and Dorothy (White) Pederson.
When Doris was 2 years old, the family moved to Syracuse. Doris attended Nottingham High School, graduating in 1937. She then attended the Crane Department of Music at Potsdam Normal School, now the State University College at Potsdam, where she met Kenraid Shields. They married in 1940 and settled in Morris. In 1950, she and the family moved to New Lisbon and purchased the Clayton Lull Farm, known to this day as Sugar Ridge Farm.
She was predeceased by her husband, Kenraid, on March 25, 2003.
Doris was a member of the United Methodist Church in Morris. For 50 years, Doris taught piano lessons to the youth of the community. She often had as many as 25 or 30 students per week, giving lessons at the church after school, at the farm or the Butternut Valley Art Center. She also gave piano lessons at Oneonta State Teachers College in the 1940s.
Doris was an active member of the Butternut Valley Garden Club and enjoyed floral gardening and arranging. She exhibited annually at the Otsego County Fair and was very involved in the development of the Butternut Valley Art Center.
In 1967, Doris assumed the position of "temporary," organist at Zion Episcopal Church in Morris, a post she has held for 36 years. During that period, Doris developed and promoted the appreciation of pipe organs and organ composition through numerous recitals and performances by guest organists.
In 1972, she was a charter member of the Oneonta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and remained actively involved in that group.
Doris' musical interests also included opera. In 1975, she became a volunteer prop worker for the young Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown during their formative years at Cooperstown High School. She later served as head usher at the opera's present facility on Otsego Lake. For 27 years Doris attended nearly every performance and was actively involved in the Opera Guild.
Throughout her busy life, Doris maintained the household at Sugar Ridge Farm. She had an immense capacity for managing multiple priorities with calmness and dignity.
She is survived by sons, Bruce of New Lisbon, David and wife, Diana of Kodiak Island, Alaska, Eric of Morris, Chris and wife, Barbara of Treadwell; and daughter, Kristina of New Lisbon; six grandchildren, Meredith of White Plains, Erika of Atlanta, Ga., Sylvana of West Orange, N.J., Clark of Cambridge, Mass., Luvonne and Linn of Kodiak Island, Alaska; many nieces and nephews; dear friend, Audrey Shields of Cherry Valley; brother, Dr. Thoru Pederson of Worcester, Mass.; sister, Hilda Bigwood of Williamsville.
A memorial service will be held at Zion Episcopal Church at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, 2003, with Fr. Robert Witt officiating; assisted by the Rev. Ann Blair of the Morris United Methodist Church. Family will greet friends in the Episcopal Parish House immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, friends are invited to make contributions to Glimmerglass Opera, P.O. Box 191, Cooperstown, N.Y. 13226; Zion Episcopal Church, Morris, N.Y. 13808 or the Oneonta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, 114 Forest Dr., Oneonta, N.Y. 13820.
Internment will be later in the spring.
Arrangements are by the Johnston Funeral Home of Morris.
Published in The Daily Star on April 24, 2003.
NEW LISBON — Graveside committal services for Kenraid and Doris Shields will be held in Hillington Cemetery, Morris, on Saturday, June 7, 2003, at 1 p.m.
Friends are invited back to the Shields' residence after the committal services.
Published in The Daily Star on June 5, 2003.
Find a Link Memorial for Doris P. Shields
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