Obituary
Margaret “Peg” Herdeg Mason
Peg Mason, 98, formerly from Lovell and Fryeburg, ME passed away on August 7, 2023 at AdventHealth Hospital in Winter Park, FL after a brief illness from covid and pneumonia.
Born in East Orange, NJ in 1925, Margaret Helen Herdeg was the daughter of Margaret Hunter and Royal Freeman Herdeg. She went to Glen Ridge High School in Glen Ridge, NJ but graduated from Miss Beard’s School (now co- called Morristown-Beard School) in 1943. She graduated from Wellesley College located in Wellesley, MA in 1948 with a Major in Sociology. In 1950 she obtained a Master of Arts Degree at Columbia Teachers’ College (now called Columbia College) located in NYC. After attending Columbia she taught kindergarten at Plumfield School in Darien, CT from 1950-1955.
Peg met her husband, David Woodrow Mason, through Noroton Presbyterian Church in Noroton which is part of Darien, CT in 1954. They got married in 1955 and moved to Lovell, Maine taking up residence at Agawam Kezar on Kezar Lake. They took over as sole owners/directors of Camp Agawam in Raymond, ME in 1955 until they sold it in 1985 to the alumni of Camp Agawam. The camp which was started in 1919 by Appleton A. Mason, Sr is still in operation today serving boys from 8 to 15 years old. They also started a camp for younger boy’s ages 9 to 11 at Agawam Kezar in Lovell which ran from 1957 to 1963. In 1971 they started the Main Idea at Camp Agawam a free week of camping for Maine boys ages 9 – 15 who might otherwise never get the chance to attend camp. During the winter months, they operated a ski camp at Agawam Kezar that hosted school groups throughout the winter. This ran from 1955 to 2000 when they moved to Fryeburg, ME. Peg was the secretary, office manager, treasurer, and bookkeeper for both Camp Agawam and Agawam Kezar. She also taught at the New Suncook School in Lovell for several years.
She loved hosting large family gatherings at Agawam Kezar at Thanksgiving time as well as many pancake breakfasts, sledding and skating parties on Kezar Lake for Lovell residents. The townspeople still talk about her punch and cookies. After moving to Fryeburg she made hundreds of cookies during Fryeburg Fair week to sell on the road when the traffic backed up by her house – all proceeds went to the Lovell United Church of Christ.
Peg was a member of the Lovell United Church of Christ for over 65 years, and was very involved in many of Lovell’s activities such as the Thrift Shop, Arts and Artisans Fair, and bake sales. She enjoyed gardening, swimming aerobics and attending events at Fryeburg Academy at the preforming arts center and sporting events such as softball and basketball games. She and David travelled extensively.
In 2021 she moved to Allegro Senior Living in Winter Park, FL where she resided for over two years. Peg enjoyed the many activities at Allegro and also visited the many local restaurants and parks with her family.
Peg was predeceased by her husband, David and brother, Donald, and son, David Jr. She is survived by her daughter, Barbara and her husband, Neil of Andover, MA; son, Peter and wife Lynne, of Winter Park, FL; son James and his wife, Diane, of Bristol, England; granddaughters Katie, Marianne, Felicity, Louise and Rachel; and great-granddaughters Sophia, Lily and Ava.
A memorial service will be held at the Lovell United Church of Christ located at 1174 Main St. in Lovell, ME at Noon on Friday, August 18, 2023. Following the service, a reception will be held at the Expo Center at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds located at 1154 Main St., Fryeburg, ME from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to one of the following organizations: Camp Agawam, 54 Agawam Road, Raymond, ME 04071 or online at www.campagawam.org under the Giving tab or the Lovell United Church of Christ, P.O. Box 232, Lovell, ME 04051.
