Doris Jeanette Dearborn

Longtime Matanuska Valley resident Doris Dearborn, 95, died Wednesday, July 20, 2011, at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage.

Her family will host a celebration of her life from noon to 8 p.m., Aug. 2 at the Old Palmer Train Depot. In lieu of flowers, all donations will be used to enable Matanuska Valley students to further their education in agriculture and horticulture.

Doris was born Jan. 24, 1916, and grew up on a small farm in Sanborton, N.H. She earned a degree at the University of New Hampshire in bacteriology, and married Curtis Howard Dearborn of South Weare, N.H. While they lived in Newport, R.T., the twins were born. In a few years, they moved to Stanley, N.Y., where two more sons were born. In 1950 the family drove to Palmer and lived at the Matanuska Experimental Farm, where her husband worked. A daughter was born in Palmer in 1953.

The family moved into their self-built home near the Experimental Farm in 1960. Over the years, Curtis and Doris built up a potato and vegetable farm that is still in operation today. Many generations have enjoyed her tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, raspberries, bedding plants and flower baskets from her backporch. She loved hearing people tell of their produce success stories. Her favorite offering was guided tours of the Dearborn apple orchard, especially for young school children.

Doris greatly enjoyed her children and their neighborhood friends, taking them swimming, skating and to other activities. Many cats and dogs enjoyed a loving home with her, as did small wild birds she fed at her kitchen window. She was also a talented violinist, and played first chair in the Palmer Orchestra. In her 90s she became a regular evening watcher of political talk shows and NCIS episodes!

Surviving are her sons, Larry, Barry, Jayson (and Anett), Jeffrey; daughter, Jennie; nine grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.

She will also be greatly missed by her close greenhouse companions, Irene Dearborn (Larry’s wife) and Leona Chandler.