Mother of women's rowing dies

EXETER, N.H. --Rowers from around the region took part in a sort of funeral procession on water in Exeter (New Hampshire) during the weekend for a woman known as the mother of women's rowing.

The flotilla honored Ernestine Bayer of Stratham, who spent decades rowing and teaching countless others to row. Bayer died last month at age 97.

Her daughter, Tina Bayer, organized a flotilla of rowing shells of all sizes. It included members of the 1984 Olympic women's gold medal rowing team; teams from the University of New Hampshire, Great Bay Rowing Club and Phillips Exeter Academy and a rowing club featuring cancer survivors.

Next week, Radcliffe, Boston University and M-I-T will christen rowing shells in Bayer's honor.

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Information from: Foster's Daily Democrat, http://www.fosters.com