Thayden M. Farrington (1931-2018)

FARMINGTON – Thayden M. Farrington, 87, of Jay, passed Tuesday morning, Dec. 4, 2018 at Franklin Memorial hospital, where he had been a patient for nearly a week.

He was born March 9. 1931, in the old Farrington Family farmhouse, a son of Eben R. and Iva (Macomber) Farrington.

He was President of the 1949 graduating class of Wilton Academy where he played football and basketball. He attended UMO for two years, prior to joining the Air Force before being drafted. Following his military service, he returned to UMO and graduated in 1957. Following college, he began working on the farm and attended a cattle sale in Durham, NH where he bought a cow that made national honors, He became well known for his Holstein heifers and dairy farm, the Thayben Farm, Inc., named after he and his dad.

He was a member of the Maine Breeding Coop, was a 4-H leader, a member of the Grange and worked his way up to serve as Master of the Grange. He also had been an active member of the Wilton Masonic lodge #156 and the Order of the Eastern Star. He showed dairy cattle and won many ribbons throughout his career. He was President of the Soil and Water Conservation Board and was always interested in helping out other farmers.

Thayden was an outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. He shot a moose with his son, Thayden and nephew, Bruce and was very proud of that shared experience.

A sports enthusiast, he enjoyed baseball, football and basketball and was a Celtics fan. He also had a keen interest in genealogy and his wife traced his ancestry back to the Mayflower with John Alden and Priscilla Mullens. Most of his ancestors were farmers.

He, and his wife of 64 years, Elizabeth Nora (Harris) Farrington, whom he married on April 18, 1953 in Farmington, enjoyed their home on the Spruce Mtn. road, Jay; they shared in the pride that he had cut all of the wood himself to build their home.

He is loved by his wife, Elizabeth Nora Farrington of Jay; four granddaughters: Carrie Farrington of Florida; Jennifer Gordon and her companion David Weston of Jay; Jesse Mallett and her husband, Robert, of Farmington, Sarah Nicholas and her husband, John of Temple; a son-in-law, Wayne Buzzell of Wilton; four great-grandchildren: Elizabeth, Dylan, Tucker and Ben, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a daughter: Wanda R. Farrington Buzzell; a son, Thayden C. Farrington; brothers: Floyd Farrington and Milton Farrington and a sister, Glynnese Waite.

Public memorial services will be held Saturday Dec. 8 at 11 AM from the wiles Remembrance Center, 308 Franklin rd., Rte. 133, Jay. Following services, a reception will follow at the Center. Spring burial at Lakeview Cemetery, Wilton.

In lieu off flowers, remembrance gifts may be given to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105.

You are invited to share a story or a kind word on his memorial wall at www.wilesrc.com, where you may also view his memorial video tribute.