[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2475-S2476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 REMEMBERING HESTER GOODENOUGH CALDWELL

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I want to take a moment to remember a 
Vermonter who, with seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm, devoted 
her life to her family, her students, her friends, and her community. 
Hester ``Hep'' Caldwell, who died on April 10, 2018, will be forever 
remembered and admired for a life well lived.

[[Page S2476]]

  Hep, who lived to be 89, was one of those people who just about 
everybody liked immediately. She loved people, she loved sports, she 
loved the outdoors, and she loved living on West Hill in Putney, VT, 
with her husband, John, whom she first met when they were both just 10 
years old.
  For decades, Hep taught history and John taught mathematics at the 
Putney School. Besides challenging her students in the classroom, Hep's 
many passions--hiking, skiing, gardening, classical music--inspired all 
who knew her. She set an example for generations, young and old, in her 
home, in the classroom, in woods, fields, and on the slopes and summits 
of mountains in all seasons of the year and by her many years of 
community service.
  Putney will not be the same without Hep, but she has left her mark 
there and in her children and grandchildren in ways that will live on 
for generations.
  I ask unanimous consent that Hep Caldwell's obituary in the Valley 
News be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                   [From Valley News, Apr. 22, 2018]

                       Hester Goodenough Caldwell

       Putney, VT.--Hester Goodenough Caldwell, born Nov. 30, 
     1928, died on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Hep died as she lived: 
     sustained by her love for her family and her ability to meet 
     challenges with laughter and quick wit. Hep was born in 
     Woodbridge, Conn. to Erwin and Helen Goodenough. She grew up 
     loving the outdoors and playing alongside her three older 
     brothers and male cousins, excellent preparation for her 
     future schooling and her later ability to simultaneously 
     embrace and challenge traditional gender roles. At the age of 
     10 she entered Putney School, where she met the boy she would 
     later wed, John Caldwell. After graduating from Smith College 
     in 1950 and marrying John, she returned to Putney School in 
     1953, where she taught history for 37 years even as she 
     raised four children and earned her Master of Arts in Liberal 
     Studies from Wesleyan University. During her tenure at Putney 
     School, Hep also held a variety of positions including head 
     of the history department, dean of faculty, field hockey 
     coach, and ski coach. An avid hiker, she led student ski 
     trips to Tuckerman's Ravine, drawing on her years of skiing 
     for Putney School and on the ski patrol at Smith. Together, 
     Hep and John exemplified partnership as they raised their 
     four children, worked at Putney School, and traveled to 
     Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, Finland, Norway, 
     Australia, Tonga, Wales, England, Japan, Yugoslavia, China 
     and Russia on learning, hiking and skiing expeditions.
       In their later years, Hep and John became co-sponsors of 
     Camp Caldwell, a series of mini-camps for their 10 
     grandchildren, where they nurtured family ties, promoted the 
     benefits of physical labor, and cultivated a respect and love 
     for the natural world. In the spirit of 5:00 AM barn duty at 
     the Putney School, the little grandkid campers could not have 
     7 AM breakfast until they had dipped in the icy cold spring-
     fed pond at the bottom of the hill, which of course Hep and 
     John had done themselves an hour or so earlier. Other camp 
     activities ranged from ``waking up the chickens and feeding 
     them'' to drawing straws to see which pair would have to wade 
     into the swamp mud to remove the water-cress that had 
     infested the pond's water. Now adults, some of the grandkids' 
     fondest memories include their time together with Hep and 
     John.
       Hep contributed significantly to her community, serving as 
     a founding member of the new Putney Library, Chairperson of 
     Brattleboro Community Chorus, head of the Putney's Democratic 
     Party and as a Justice of the Peace, presiding over scores of 
     marriages. Inspiring her children, grandchildren and students 
     to do good in this world, lifting hearts with her piano 
     playing, Hep's legacy lives on in her children and 
     grandchildren, all of whom love skiing and other outdoor 
     activities, many of whom are engaged in teaching and 
     coaching.
       Hep faced old-age challenges in her final years, but she 
     never lost her quick laugh and ability to find levity in 
     whatever was happening around her. She was pre-deceased by 
     her daughter, Jennifer and her brother, Ward. She will be 
     greatly missed by her husband, John, her three children, Tim, 
     Sverre, and Peter and her ten grandchildren, Tyler, Alexa, 
     Anya, Lucy, Sophie, Lucinda, Heidi, Austin, Isabel, and 
     Patrick, and her brothers, John and Jim. A gathering to 
     reflect on and celebrate her life will be held at the Putney 
     School Aug. 4.

                          ____________________