Anne Frezil Legare

Anne Frezil Legare, 91, of Oxford, MD, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 20th, at her beloved home, "Holly House" in Oxford, MD, surrounded by her (3) daughters and Welsh Springer Spaniels with Christmas Carols playing. It was a beautiful send off for a most gracious lady at Christmastime, her favorite season. Anne died of natural causes and was entertaining friends and family up until the end. Anne was born on September 11, 1930, in Washington DC to, Minna Elizabeth Zimmerman, of St. Matthews, SC, and Sidney Kent Legare of Washington DC. She grew up in the Kalorama neighborhood in downtown Washington, DC where she enjoyed urban life roller-skating with her sister, Alberta, up and down Massachusetts Avenue with their two cocker spaniels pulling them up the hill! She attended The Potomac School where she met her lifelong friend, Marjorie, when it was located downtown for elementary school. For High School she attended the Ethel Walkers School, in Connecticut and spent many of her summers up at her father's childhood home, "Kent Place" in Suffield, CT, where she developed a passion for horses and dogs. She loved to ride and explore the countryside with her father and friends. She also enjoyed many family trips to see her mother's large gregarious family in St. Matthews, SC, who welcomed her with their warm gracious southern hospitality. For College Anne went to Finch Junior College outside New York City and pursued a degree in Painting and Art History. After Graduation in the summer of 1951, she and her dear friend, Marjorie, reunited for a trip of a lifetime around Europe and afterwards moved to New York City where she landed her first job in an Antique Store. She worked in New York for several years and then moved back to Washington, DC in 1954 where she soon met her first husband, William Agee Hardy Jr., of Queenstown, MD, at a party on the C & O Canal in Georgetown. They married in February 1956 and moved to Queenstown, Maryland. They soon had three daughters: Marjory Legare Hardy (Sheldon), (1956) Minna Agee Hardy, (Casser) (1958) and Anne Frezil Hardy (Holder) (1962). Anne embraced the wild, natural beauty of Eastern Shore, which was challenging at first for a city girl in the 1950's as The Chesapeake Bay Bridge had just finished construction. Her new country life began on (2) farms; Mainbrace Farm on The Wye River & My Lord's Gift Farm on the Chester River where she was able to continue her passion for riding, raising litters of puppies and gardening. In those early years she took great pride in motherhood and passing on her passions to her three daughters. She divorced in 1969 and considered moving back to Washington, however, decided that it was best for her girls to remain on The Eastern Shore. She was a country girl at heart and moved to Easton, Md in 1971 to her beloved "Holly House" on Trippe Creek. "Holly House" was a haven for Anne and her daughters and a hub of activity and gracious hospitality. Anne and her girls were a team, and she was "Queen Anne" and thrived in her new home becoming everyone's favorite Mom and hostess. Many of her daughters' friends considered her a second Mom and good friend. They fondly recall many wonderful memories of candlelight dinners on her screened in porch and of course her famous Christmas parties where friends came from far and wide to taste her famous Christmas punch. She devoted herself to raising her girls being omnipresent in all aspects their lives: their education, school activities, weekend horse shows, summer trips, and of course raising dogs, horses and even a few stray cats and rabbits along the way! In her later "Empty Nest" years Anne pursued her passion with her dogs and became a well-known breeder of Welsh Springer Spaniels. She enjoyed sharing that passion with a large community of dog breeders making a new set of friends, which gave her great joy. She set out on the road to dog shows all over the world winning many championships. She took great pride in her new career and did all the hard work herself of showing, grooming, breeding, and birthing the puppies. She showed and placed at the famous Westminster Dog Show in New York and at one point she had (9) Welshies in the Holly House Kennel. Her two most famous champion dogs were Holly House Sweet William or "Willie Boy" and Holly House Empress Josephine or "Josie". There were many puppy parties, which entertained her grandchildren and friends as they visited Holly House. Anne was a founding member of the The AKC Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America, and active member of The Talbot County Kennel Club, and member of The Talbot County Humane Society. Another passion in her later years was gardening. She took great pride in maintaining and designing the gardens and grounds at her beloved Holly House. She loved to walk the property and had a keen and discerning eye knowing the name of every tree, bush, and flower. She knew exactly what she had planted and where and when they would bloom or need to be weeded or pruned. She would take great pleasure in cutting her flowers, making arrangements, and gifting cuttings to friends. She loved to sit at the kitchen table watching all the colors come and go as the seasons changed. Her beautiful gardens attracted many visitors...birds, rabbits and squirrels alike which definitely entertained her to the end of her life. She is preceded in death by her parents, Minna and Kent Legare, her sister, Alberta Legare Roesch, and X Husband, William A. Hardy, Jr. She is survived by her daughter Marjory Hardy Sheldon of Washington, DC and Her Husband, George William Sheldon and their (5) children: Julia Kent Train of Boulder, Co, Russell Bowdoin Train of Ketchum, Idaho, William Hardy Train of Austin, TX, Taylor Lewis Sheldon of New York City, and William Winthrop Sheldon, US Marine Corp. Her daughter, Minna Hardy Casser of Hailey, Idaho & Her husband, Conrad Vernon Casser and their daughter, Minna Casser Quist and her husband Joshua Arthur Quist of Denver, Colorado and Her daughter, Anne Frezil Hardy & Her Husband, Richard Dolan Holder of Lexington, KY. Her nephew, Christian Roesch and his son, Alex Roesch. Her Sister-in-Law, Catherine Forman Pierson and her (4) daughters, her nieces: Elizabeth Hardy Furey, Laura Hardy Carney, Hope Hardy Reed, and Maria Hardy Wharton, and their families. Her two beloved Welsh Springer Spaniels, Abby & Suzette. The Family will celebrate Anne's life privately over the Christmas holidays and plan a Memorial Service and Celebration of Life in the spring when Holly House is in full bloom in Mid-May. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in memory of Anne F. Legare to: The Greater Chesapeake Welsh Springer Spaniel Club www.GCWSSC.com Make checks payable to GCWSSC and mail to GCWSSC, C/O Wendy Jordan, 8843 High Banks Drive, Easton, MD 21601 and The Talbot County Humane Society www.Talbothumane.org *Please note that this is the official Obituary. Anything published previously online is incorrect.

Anne Frezil Legare

September 11, 1930 - December 21, 2021