- Date Of Death: May 4, 2015
- State: Maine
ANN A. POLAND
HARTFORD- On May 4, 2015 Anna Alden Rounseville Poland rode into the sunrise to find new trails and adventures, joining her beloved horse Star and the others with whom she shared her life for 91 years. She spent her final months at Green Acres, enjoying the home of all her summers, and as spring slowly emerged her spirit left us to re-connect with those she loved.
Most proud to be called a horsewoman, her horses were the abiding love of her life.
She began life in the town of Rochester, MA, the daughter of Ralph and Winifred (Veazie) Rounseville, where she was raised with her three brothers on the family homestead whose barn was her haven. She embraced the work horse teams that brought logs for the Rounseville family sawmill and rented Sonny Hartley’s pony for the few cents he then paid back to her brother Linc to feed their shared goats. In the 1940’s she went on to complete her degree at Boston University and share a Boston apartment with family and friends, making ties she kept forever. A lifelong cowgirl at heart, she liked to be called ‘Annie’ after her heroine Annie Oakley. Her French Huguenot and Pilgrim ancestry was important to her. She carried her middle name of Alden in honor of her Mayflower ancestor who landed on the shores she so cherished.
Her love for all the animals was legendary, from barn kitties and rescued dogs to adopted whales, but her horses were her passion. Her favorite days were spent on horseback, riding the trails and educating others on the lifelong joys of horsemanship. A proud member of the Sandy River Riding Club, she taught many a generation how to care for the horses properly and ride them kindly, leaving a lasting legacy of enriched lives.
She never met a card game, be it cribbage, poker, or Michigan rummy that she didn’t enjoy and she held her place proudly for evenings in front of the fireplace in the lodge. A game with a friend always made her day.
Ann was a woman who valued her independence, gave loyalty to her friends, and made the world a better place for horses and other animals. Everyone will tell you, “There was only one Annie!” She will be missed by her family, daughter Leslie and husband Daryl Boness, granddaughter Melissa Margann Boness and husband Michael Lara, and her great-granddaughter Miranda; beloved extended family members and lifelong friends and neighbors. She truly appreciated Jennifer and those who made her last years comfortable. Ann was predeceased by her husband Lloyd L. Poland, her parents, and her three brothers, Ralph Jr. (Mike), Lincoln (Linc), and Alden (Denny) Rounseville.
