The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Former Petersburgh Town Clerk And Historian Hilda M. Allen Celebrates 92nd Birthday

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Hilda Moon Allen, born and raised in Petersburgh and now living in New Hampshire near her daughter Molly of West Lebanon, NH, will turn 92 on March 20.
Hilda began her career as a teacher. Following music education studies at Syracuse University, she began teaching in 1946, with a class of 43 children in the one room Red Brick Schoolhouse in Clums Corners. Next, she taught at the Grafton Center School for one year. Following that, she taught grades 1 – 4 for one year at the Petersburgh District No. 4 School. In 1950, Hilda married Henry P. Allen, also a Petersburgh native.
In the mid-1950s and following, Hilda served as Town Clerk, Election Inspector, Founding Trustee of the Petersburgh Library and, perhaps most notably, as Town Historian for 24 years. Many will recall her love of genealogy that later led to her publication of “The Families of Petersburgh” in 1991, the year of the Town’s bicentennial.
Music has always been, and continues to be, an important part of Hilda’s life. She began piano study as a child with Myrtle Howard of Petersburgh and later studied voice in college. Hilda acknowledged that she was a true soprano and that high C was her best note. She continues to play the piano nearly every day and thoroughly enjoys playing for sing-alongs at the retirement center where she now lives. She claims that she plays by ear just as well as ever, though she is no longer able to read anything in print.
Besides genealogy and music, Hilda has loved history, particularly the colonial American period and the European Victorian era. Other interests include politics, dressmaking and needlepoint.
Local Attorney Nancy Hewitt describes Allen as a person of great intelligence, depth and grace, a wonderful storyteller full of humor and warmth. Hewitt said, “There is perhaps no one who has loved Petersburgh more. We thank her for making us richer.”
For those who would like to send a card, Hilda’s address is Box 67, 80 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH, 03755.