Maida Backus

Maida Libbey Backus, 104

Centerville — Maida Libbey Backus, 104, died May 8, 2008.

Mrs. Backus was born in Revere and grew up in Roxbury. She began her art studies in 1922 and graduated from the Massachusetts Normal School of Art, now known as the Massachusetts College of Art, in Boston.

She married former Barnstable County Commissioner H. Heyworth Backus in 1926 and moved to Centerville. He predeceased her in 1976.

She was a well-known Cape artist and a member of many art associations. From the 1950s until the late 1990s her work was on exhibit in shows and galleries on the Cape and in Boston and Vermont. She was a painter, printmaker, metalsmith, sculptor and weaver of tapestries.

She was particularly active at the Cape Cod Conservatory, where she was invited to have several one-woman retrospectives, including “In the Nineties” to celebrate her 90th birthday. A final memorial exhibit will be on display this summer.

She was part of the Boston University New England Centenarian Study.

She is survived by her son, Heyworth G. “Buddy” Backus and his wife Margaret and her daughter Virginia B. Upham of Centerville; four granddaughters, Caryl Steward and Donna Backus of Centerville, Debra Hennessy of East Falmouth and Linda Hogan of Montpelier, Vt; six great-grandchildren, Catherine McMahon of West Barnstable, Wesley Harris of Baltimore, Md., Justin Hogan of Makawao, Hawaii, Nicholas Steward and Samantha Steward of Centerville, Brian Schlegel of Marstons Mills and Marc Schlegel of Depew, N.Y.; and five great-great-grandchildren.

Visiting hours and service were held at the John-Lawrence Funeral Home in Marstons Mills.

Donations can be made to the Cape Cod Conservatory of Music and Arts, 2235 Iyanough Road, West Barnstable, MA 02668, or to the Hospice & Palliative Care of Cape Cod, 765 Attucks Lane, Hyannis, MA 02601.

 

--Barnstable Patriot.  May 2008.

 

 

Maida is the wife of Hiram Heyworth Backus.  Hiram is the son of Abigail (Heyworth) and George Backus.  Abigail (Heyworth) Backus is the daughter of Mary "Pet" (White) Heyworth.  And "Pet" is the daughter of Eunice "Abigail" (Arnold) White.  Abigail Arnold is a sister of Amos S. Arnold.

 

Stukely & Lovicy Arnold

   Eunice "Abigail" & J. B. White

      Mary "Pet" & Hiram Heyworth

         Abigail & George Crocker Backus

            Hiram & Maida Backus

 

 

 

An artist and a baker. 

 

--Delta Democrat-Times.  Greenville, Mississippi.  7 January 1960.  Page 7.