Mary Walsh Ruell was born in 1916 to Ellen Lillian Walsh and Thomas Walsh. Both of her parents were Irish immigrants. Mary was born in Hamilton, Massachusetts.

Mary attended public schools in Hamilton and graduated at age 16 in 1933. Mary received her Bachelor of Science in Education in 1937 from Salem State and began her teaching career the following fall at Ashland High. During World War II, Mary worked in Providence Rhode Island in the shipyards in WWII, and taught in Old Lyme, Ct, and East Greenwich RI before returning to teach in Ashland.

Mary married Laurent Joseph Ruell on May 14, 1949 and they raised their five children in Ashland while Mary continued her career in the New Hampshire public schools. Mary takes great pride in her five children (David, Stephen, Ellen, Kevin and Janice), eleven grandchildren (Emily and Nathan Ruell; Jesse and Julia Himmelstein; Patrick and Rosey Mongeau and Lillian Mongeau Hughes; Morgan, Jolie, Wesley and Gwenn Ruelle), and three great-grandchildren (Zoe and Leah Himmelstein, Amora Ruelle).

Since her retirement from teaching in 1987, Mary has devoted herself to community service and has received numerous awards for her efforts.

For more detail on the various aspects of her life, see the links in the “Biography” menu above.