Eleanor Spears Dove, the matriarch of the
Narragansett Tribe, passed away on Saturday, just a couple of weeks short of her 101st birthday.
At age 100, Dove was one of the oldest Narragansett citizens. She was a mother to four, grandmother to ten, great grandmother to many more and even a great-great grandmother to a few.
“Her work was done here on mother earth, the ancestors needed her in sky world,” daughter Dawn Dove told The Providence Journal.
Dove was also known by her Naragansett name, which translates to
Pretty
Flower. She was a trailblazer, opening one of the first Native restaurants in 1963, along with her husband, Ferris Dove.
"Dovecrest restaurant was written up in the
New
York Times (12/9/81) about Eleanor's 'Raccoon Pie,' and her Johnnycakes
received the "America's Best!" award in 1979," granddaughter and namske
Eleanor Dove Harris wrote on Indianz.Com ahead of Pretty Flower's 100th birthday on August 1, 2018.
"In 1981 she was written up in the
Congressional Record, her cuisine was written about in the Washington Post
(March 24, 1982) as well as in The Boston Globe (1982), to only list a few.
Eleanor was also awarded along with Wolfgang Puck in 1982 for the Salute to
American Food Awards hosted by Ocean Spray," Dove's youngest granddaughter recalled.
According to The Charlestown Sun, visiting hours for Dove are 5pm to 8pm on Tuesday at the First Baptist Church in Hope Valley. A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday morning at 10am. at the same church, with a graveside service to follow at First Hopkinton Cemetery on Chase Hill Road in Hopkinton.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations in Dove’s name be made to the
Tomaquag Museum at 390 Summit Rd., Exeter, RI 02822.
Read More on the Story
Eleanor Dove, matriarch of Narragansett tribe, dies at 100
(The Providence Journal July 16, 2019)
Narragansett Tribe loses “matriarch of the community," Eleanor Dove
(The Charlestown Sun July 16, 2019)
RI woman believed to be the oldest Native American dies
(NBC News July 15, 2019)
A Century Well-Lived: Remembering Eleanor Spears Dove
(Narragansett-South Kingstown July 15, 2019)
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