Ruth Pfanner, 95, Powder Mill founder whose deep faith inspired many

Ruth Olson Pfanner passed away peacefully at age 95 in New London, N.H., on Dec. 7, 2018.

Mrs. Pfanner was born in Listerby, Sweden, to Karl Olof Olson and Betty Johanna Peterson. In 1930, at age 7, she came with her family to the United States, spending her childhood in New York City and Queens. She graduated from Newtown High School, Queens, N.Y., in June 1939. After high school, she worked as a legal secretary in downtown New York City.

In January 1949, she married Gunther Pfanner and they started raising their two daughters, Diane and Karen, in Westbury, N.Y., then Centerport and Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.  Mrs. Pfanner also worked as the secretary at the American Red Cross in Huntington, N.Y.

In the 1970s, the Pfanners purchased and began a project they named Powder Mill in Londonderry, Vt. Subsequently they found the ideal spot in the Caribbean to build Point Pleasant Resort, where the views of the islands are spectacular. Their vision for both properties was for man and nature to live in harmony and for future generations to be renewed in spirit by the beauty of Vermont and the Virgin Islands.

Mrs. Pfanner was a woman of deep faith and was an inspiration to many throughout her life.   She was an active and dedicated member of the St. Thomas Assembly of God Church and attended the First Baptist Church in New London, N.H.  She cared deeply for her family and others, praying daily for their needs and asking for God’s grace.  A vibrant woman with an infectious smile, Mrs. Pfanner will be greatly missed by her many friends and her family.

Mrs. Pfanner is survived by her two daughters Diane Mueller and Karen Reynolds; her son-in-laws Timothy Mueller and Timothy Reynolds; her five grandchildren, Ethan Mueller, Erica Mueller, Shannon Reynolds, Griffin Reynolds and Alliy Reynolds, and her four great-grandchildren, Anika, Tobin, Hazel and Julianna.

Her husband, Gunther Pfanner, pre-deceased her, as did her brothers David Olson and Carl Olson; half-brothers Ruben Olson and Joseph Olson and half-sisters Edith Carlson and Martha Olson.

A family service will be held in Northport, N.Y. where she will be interred next to her husband Gunther.  A Celebration of Life Service will be held in New Hampshire in the spring or summer of 2019.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: First Baptist Church, 461 Main St., New London, NH 03257 or St. Thomas Assembly of God Church, PO Box 10770, St. Thomas, USVI 00801.