Martha (Heath) Wiencke

June 9, 1930 - December 7, 2020

Martha Heath Wiencke, 90, of Hanover,NH, passed away on December7, 2020, at Kendal at Hanover.Martha was born on June 9, 1930, in Dedham,MA, to Clark W.and Katharine Calef Heath. She attended Milton Academy,andearnedan A.B.in classical archaeology with honorsfrom Bryn Mawr Collegein 1952.She went on to complete aPh.D.inarchaeologyatYalein 1957andstudied atthe American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece, as a Fulbright scholar.She married Matthew I. Wiencke on September 6, 1958, in Medford,MA.Theymoved toThetford Center, VT,in 1960, raised four children there, andtraveled widely inGreece, Europe, and the United States, oftenwith the family.Early in her career, shejoined a team of archaeologists working at Lerna, one of the most important prehistoric sitesin Greece and said to bethe placethatHercules slew the 9-headed Hydra.Excavations at the House of the Tilesat Lerna,where an unusualcollectionof Bronze Age sealswasdiscovered, became her life's scholarship. She served as editor of publications for the project andwroteThe Architecture, Stratification, and Pottery of Lerna III, published in 2000.She taught Latin, German, and French at Thetford Academy and Latin at Dartmouth.During her 16 years at Kendal, she tutored Jessica Londain Homeric Greek and Latinevery Wednesday.She was also vice president of the Thetford Historical Society,where she did extensive archivingof early town records.She was an avid reader of mysteries,19th-century novels,Proust,andbiographies.Sheloved flower gardeningand never failedtofindthelady'sslipperson her family's propertyeach spring.Musicand art werealwaysimportant. Sheenjoyedconcerts at Tanglewood andplayedviolin instring quartets and intheKendal orchestra.She learned watercolorpaintingfrom her grandmother andsketched throughout her life, particularlyon Cape Cod,where she spent summers as a child.She was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Hanover, NH, where she sang in the choir for many years and played violin.She was preceded in death byher husband, Matt, andis survived by her son Lawrence Wiencke and daughter-in-law Denise Noda of Golden, CO;daughter Katharine Wiencke of Hancock, MA;daughter Charlotte and son-in-law Gil Varney Jr. of Atlanta, GA;son Matthew Wiencke and daughter-in-law Christine Neely-Jonesof Thetford, VT; grandchildrenMeilin NodaWiencke,Gregory and Jacob Varney,and Christian and Elliott Jones;sister, Emily Wilson ofFairfax,VA; brother Clark Heath of Woodbine, GA; brother Everett Heath of Lynchburg, VA; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.The family extends its heartfelt appreciation to the Kendal staff for their loving care.A private family service and burial will be heldon December 11. A memorial celebration will take place at a future date.In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be sent to the Thetford Food Shelf, P.O.Box 126, Thetford Center, VT 05075; or to Lutheran World Relief (lwr.org). Arrangements are by Hale Funeral Home in Bradford, VT. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Martha (Heath) Wiencke, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.