Picture of Edward K. and Mildred (Richenburg) True
Ed & Millie True

Edward Keene True was born in Boston, MA, 12 July 1915, the son of Edward Payson True and Laura Keene (Darling) True; He was married in Roslindale, MA, 31 August 1940 to Mildred Louise Richenburg, born in Boston, MA 25 January 1920, daughter of Frederick Henry Richenburg and Spray Edna (Bartlett) Richenburg. Mildred died in Searsport, Maine, 9 December 2000, and is buried in the Hope Grove Cemetery in Hope, Maine.

Ed graduated in 1939 with a B.S. degree in Architectural Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. It was there that Ed and Millie met when he was a fifth year student and she a second year student in the School of Architecture. When Ed accepted a job as an instructor at the University of Oregon, they married and moved to Eugene, Oregon, where they lived for two years and where Millie continued her education as a part-time student.

Ed's professional life involved two aspects: one as a professor of architecture for thirty-one years at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; the other, while still teaching, in business as a partner with Richard Souza in the consulting structural engineering firm, Souza and True, which they founded in 1959. Later, this firm was incorporated as Souza, True and Partners, Inc., Watertown, MA, where Ed served as president until he retired in 1986.

Ed and Millie lived for 44 years in Concord, MA, where Ed served the community in various ways. He, in a number of different capacities over some 40 years, was a trustee and member of the board of investment of the Middlesex Savings Bank, was the building inspector, a member of the board of appeals, a member of the planning board, was the town's representative on many regional planning committees, and was a selectman for two terms.

The Concord Journal of 5 February 1976 had the following to say about him:

"...Selectman Edward K. True ... opined that Concord's tradition of serving only two terms in public office is part of the town's strength and thus he will not run again ... we would also point out that he has already given some 25 to 30 years of service to Concord. Few people in our time have given of themselves so sincerely or been devoted town servants for so long or so well."

Millie spent most of her time at home raising their children. For recreation, she was a member of the building committee for their church, was a member of several women's organizations, was co-chair and chair for several years of woman's golf at the Concord Country Club, and played golf participating in quite a few club and state tournaments. Professionally, Millie designed and supervised the construction of several homes for clients throughout the community. (A note of interest for future generations of women to ponder: when Millie was a young woman, it was certainly unusual, even rare, for a woman to be in a supervisory role over the work of either union or non-union construction workers, all of whom were men. Her experience with the workers in the various trades on the construction sites of the homes under her supervision ranged from their disbelief in her competency to good-natured acceptance that a woman had a right to be there in that capacity.) After their children were grown, Millie was office manager for Souza, True and Partners, Inc. for ten years.

Ed and Millie retired to their new home on Penobscot Bay in Searsport, ME, where Ed loves to sail. They spent their winters in Florida, living not far from Millie's sister and brother-in-law, Betty and Lew Smith. During their retirement, they engaged in the genealogy research that produced four books on their family backgrounds, and those books formed the basis for the information presented here.

Edward and Mildred (Richenburg) True have four children:

* Edward Bartlett, b. Boston, MA, 1 Jan. 1943; m. Rochester, NY, 22 May 1971, Ella Mary Conners, and they had three children: Laura Frances True, b. 30 Nov 1971, d. 20 June 1972; Kathleen Michele True, b. 18 Dec. 1972 (Kathleen married in Merrimack, NH on 18 October 2003 to Michael Christopher Vassallo); Edward Quinn True, b. 12 Oct. 1976 (Edward Quinn True married in Merrimack, NH on 3 August 2003 to Amy, and they have a son, Edward Thomas, born 5 August 2006).
* Robert Payson, b. Concord, MA, 11 Feb. 1945; m. Concord, MA, 25 April 1981, Sandra (Brusquini) Smith.
* Peter Keene, b. Concord, MA, 3 April 1950; m. (1) in Florida 19 June 1982, Gail Florence Kaufmann, divorced 1987; m. (2) Portsmouth, VA 25 June 1988, Barbara Ann Sterchak; divorced 1992; m. (3) Jacksonville, FL, 27 June 1998, Patricia Lorraine Sapp. Peter and Patricia have two children, Payson Keene True, b. 26 May 2000, and Ethan Robert True, b. 11 April 2001.
* James Duncan, b. Concord, MA, 7 Oct. 1952.