Ellen Claire (Murphy) Gallant's Obituary
Ellen Claire Gallant, 96, died peacefully at Prescott House in North Andover, surrounded by the love of her family. Ellen was born in Lawrence, MA to James and Julia (Keating) Murphy. She grew up in Haverhill, graduating from St. James High School and working in a store until her marriage to John Gallant in 1941. Married more than 74 years, they were blessed with eight children. They moved from Haverhill to Kalamazoo, Michigan to Joplin, Missouri and back to the Methuen area. Her own mother had died when Ellen was only seven; so she was determined to be the best mother possible to her own children. She was always there, cooking, cleaning, ready to tell a story, sing a song, or just listen to the problems of life. Ellen loved a good book, a lovely painting, or a sweet tune. She was always eager to learn more about different people and ideas. Well into her nineties, Ellen was a prolific writer. She never forgot a birthday, anniversary, holiday, or any occasion for a note or card to her widespread family and friends. For more than 30 years she headed up a card ministry at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, sending notes to more than 80 people every month in her beautiful penmanship. She liked to share good poems and inspiring thoughts with sick or homebound people, many much younger than she. When her children were grown, Ellen spent many years working with her husband in his real estate business, enjoying the friends she made and the challenge of her work. Her Catholic faith, the Mass, and the Rosary were an integral part of her life. She was also devoted to St. Gerard, the patron saint of mothers. For years, she prayed for hopeful mothers and loved to celebrate the babies she helped pray into the world. Ellen?s kitchen was the center of the home, with every visitor enjoying a cup of tea, a warm welcome, and a story drawn from her prodigious memory of family history. She was predeceased by her brother, Michael Murphy, and her sisters, Nora Murphy Linnehan (William), Mary Murphy McGilvray (Reaney) and Julia Murphy LaBelle (Raymond) as well as her infant son, John Joseph. She is survived by her husband, John Gallant, and by her seven children: John David (Brenda), Sheila Aitken(Ken), Nancy Gallant (George), Mary Ellen Obreiter (William), Kathleen Baril, Virginia Toland (Daniel) and Julie Veilleux (James); and also by her 17 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends who will miss her deeply. Friends and relatives are invited to attend visiting hours on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 from 4 to 8 P.M. at the John Breen Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., 122 Amesbury Street, Lawrence, MA. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. in St. Augustine?s Church in Andover, MA. Interment will follow at St. Patrick Cemetery in Haverhill, MA. Memorial contributions may be made in Ellen?s name to the charity of one?s choice. To send an online condolence, or for more information, please go to www.breenfuneralhome.com.
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