Librarian, Historical Society Curator Nancy Merrill Has Died

Nancy Lee Carnegie Merrill, who worked at the Exeter Public Library and the Exeter Historial Society, died Monday. She was 89 years old.

Merrill and her husband David helped raise six children, according to her obituary.

She wrote "Exeter, New Hampshire, 1888-1988," a history of the town in that time period. Merrill was a former curator of the Exeter Historical Society. The historical society established the Nancy Carnegie Merrill Historical Award scholarship for high school students.

Merrilll helped save the Dudley House, a historic Georgian home that was scheduled to be demolished.

A memorial service for Merrill will be held on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Brewitt Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Exeter Historical Society, PO Box 924, Exeter, NH 03833, or the Exeter Public Library, 1 Founders Park, Exeter, NH 03833.

The following people left remembraces of Merrill on the town's Facebook page:

• Carol Walker Aten: "Nancy left a legacy of epic proportions documenting the history of Exeter, and was the epitome of sweet, kind, thoughtful, and generous. Her work is the foundation that all future research will be based on. An amazing lady."
• Jordan Maguire Roberge: "This is such a loss. I had many opportunities to meet Nancy, especially while I was in high school and during Exeter's 350th. She was an amazing woman and will always be a great part of Exeter's history."
• Deborah Kanner: "Gracious, humble, so knowledgable and kind ... a lovely person."