Miss Dorothy W. Hallen

HOLDEN - Dorothy W. Hallen, 100 Parker Avenue, died Wednesday, August 15, 2007 in UMass Memorial Healthcare, Worcester, after a brief illness. She was born in Worcester and was the daughter of Herbert R. and Hilda (Carlson) Hallen.

Miss Hallen attended Worcester schools and graduated from Holden High School, the Worcester School of Business Science and studied library science in Boston and Worcester. She also attended evening classes at Clark University. Miss Hallen was secretary treasurer of the Clench Shell Club, a group started by her uncle, the late Carl Erickson of the Telegram staff. The group studied the origin and descriptions of seashells worldwide. She volunteered at the Worcester Historical Museum where she classified antiques and clothing. She also belonged to Special Libraries Association (SLA), the Worcester Art Museum, the Metropolitan Opera and the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Miss Hallen was a freelance writer of short stories and poetry and painted in oils. As a child, she had read an article by George Matthew Adams on newspaper poets and decided that is what she would be. For many years her work appeared in newspapers in Boston, Hartford, Texas, Arkansas, Florida and others, receiving fan mail from interested people. Later, her poetry appeared in magazines. As a librarian at Norton Company, she enjoyed meeting many people from other cities and around the world, as well as attending writer’s conferences where she met other writers and poets.

Relatives and friends are invited to a calling hour starting at 10 a.m. followed by a service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 18th, in the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street (Rte. 122A), Holden. Burial will be private in Rural Cemetery, Worcester. Her love of animals prompted her to join sanctuaries helping abused, exotic and endangered species, as well as domestic animals subject to cruelty. Donations to help African and world species can be sent to Dian Fossy Gorilla Fund, 800 Cherokee Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30315-1440; The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), P.O. Box 55451, Boston MA 02205-8153; Alley Cat Allies, P.O. Box 98179, Washington, DC 20077-7140; Tiger Haven, 237 Harvey Road, Kingston, TN 37763; or the Worcester Animal Rescue League, 139 Holden Street, Worcester, MA 01606.

Website & Guest book: www.milesfuneralhome.com