Caroline Grau Wolferth Amidon

Caroline Grau Wolferth Amidon, a long-time resident of Chester County, passed away in her home on October 17, 2023 at the age of 91.

Daughter of Dr. Charles and Mary (née Comber) Wolferth, she was born in Merion Station, Pennsylvania on February 15, 1932, the youngest of three children. Caroline and her siblings spent their childhood between the Main Line and their grandfather’s farm in Wolferth Station, New Jersey. She was educated at the Agnes Irwin School and later graduated from Bennington College in Vermont.

She met her husband, Dr. Charles Amidon, then a surgery resident at the Pennsylvania Hospital, in Philadelphia through a mutual friend. They were wed in 1956, and quickly left urban life for the rolling farmland of northern Chester County, where she remained for the rest of her life, first at River Bend Farm, then Spring Dell, and finally at her farm in East Nantmeal.

One of the first new adventures of rural life was horseback riding, in which she became quite accomplished. She was a member of both the Pickering and Addis Hunts, where she rode her aptly named horse, Chase.

Caroline had a life-long passion for horticulture, particularly for herbs and scented geraniums, on which she published several books. She served as President of the Herb Society of America, and remained an active member until her death. Visitors to her home would often find her working in her gardens or in one of her two greenhouses for as long as her health allowed. Her interest in ornithology was evidenced by the flocks of birds ever present on the property; they particularly enjoyed the front and back patios, where Caroline would carefully stock a plethora of feeders with a variety of seeds.

An ardent conservationist, she served on the board of the Green Valleys Nature Association at Welkinweir, and the Planning Commission of East Nantmeal Township.

Caroline was predeceased by her husband, Charles, and her two older siblings, Mary Crosby and Dr. Charles Wolferth Jr.

She is survived by her son Charles Amidon Jr. (Suzanne), daughter Elizabeth Amidon, and a grandson, Chris.