Fairfield Cops Care For Kids program another huge success

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The Fairfield Police Department Cops Care for Kids. (contributed photo)

by Mark Huard

The Fairfield Cops Care for Kids Program was created by the late Kingston Paul over 15 years ago. What started as a way to develop a relationship with the youth of Fairfield, grew into something so much more. That first night 15 years ago, three officers and Kingston delivered approximately 35 stuffed animals with a tag attached with all the officers’ names on it, wishing them a Merry Christmas. Fast forward to today and now all the officers from the department participate by going shopping for the presents, wrapping and delivering those presents and donating out of their checks all year long to help fund the program.

This year the Fairfield Police Department did something new and exciting thanks to an idea that the current Chief Thomas Gould came up with a few years ago. As the program grew over the years from a stuffed animal to three small gifts and a stuffed animal, we wanted something fun for the kids to enjoy and remember for a lifetime. So on December 15 and 16, the Fairfield Community Center was transformed into a Christmas Wonderland and was decorated from floor to ceiling with lights, presents, Christmas trees and more. The kids came in and were able to walk through and enjoy all the lights, vote on their favorite Christmas tree and have a chance to win all the toys underneath, enjoy sugar cookies and hot chocolate all while watching a movie and opening their gifts.

The Cops Care for Kids Program will still continue with their tradition of home deliveries to honor Kingston Paul.

None of this would be possible without the dedication of the department, the donations given throughout the year from members of our and surrounding communities and businesses along with the countless hours of hard work that went into making this all happen.

Northern Light Inland Hospital named a top birthing hospital

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Northern Light Inland Hospital has been named as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics by the Women’s Choice Award®. The award signifies that Inland Hospital is in the top 7 percent of 4,729 U.S. hospitals offering obstetrics.

Inland Hospital is one of only four hospitals in Maine to earn the top obstetrics award. Others include Northern Light Mercy Hospital and Maine Medical Center, in Portland, and Cary Medical Center, in Caribou.

“We are so proud of our Birthing Center and Women’s Health teams!” says Tricia Costigan, president of Inland Hospital. “The quality and safety they deliver is simply outstanding, and the personalized birthing experience makes all the difference to new moms and families.”

The Women’s Choice Award focuses its research on hospitals that provide the highest quality patient experience, especially important for potential labor complications. The methodology for the Best Hospitals for Obstetrics combines national accreditations, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health­care Pro­viders and Systems (HCAHPS) survey res­ults and hospital outcome scores with primary research about wo­men’s healthcare preferences.

The America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics gives consideration to the following specific criteria (all are not required of each hospital).

• The percentage of patients reporting through the HCAHPS survey that they would definitely recommend the hospital
• Patient safety ranking based on 12 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ measures of infection and complication rates
• Low rates of early elective deliveries (between 0-1 percent)

For more information on the America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics visit https://womenschoiceaward.com/best-hospitals-for-obstetrics. For more information about Inland Hospital visit northernlighthealth.org/Inland.

Issue for December 15, 2022

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Issue for December 15, 2022

Celebrating 34 years of local news

Central Maine Motors Auto Group recognized for rural revitalization, receives 2022 Governor’s Award for Business Excellence

Dealership presented with award at the Maine State House on Dec. 12

Family-owned Central Maine Motors Auto Group was recognized by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development on Monday for its contributions throughout Waterville and the surrounding municipalities… “Central Maine Motors prides itself on providing great customer service through its three dealerships in Waterville. Giving back to our community and taking care of people remains a priority for us,” states Central Maine Motors President and Owner Chris Gaunce. “Looking forward, our business will continue to prioritize community betterment and celebrate all of the good that our region and state have to offer…”

 

Town News

Process begins for new town manager

VASSALBORO – Every time Vassalboro select board members talked about how much they have to do in January as they begin 2023 town meeting preparations, Town Manager Mary Sabins’ smile got broader…

Medical marijuana growing business gets approval

VASSALBORO – At their Dec. 6 meeting, Vassalboro Planning Board members unanimously approved a site review permit for Joseph O’Donnell to open a medical marijuana growing business at 960 Main Street, in North Vassalboro…

Manager instructs planners to review building codes

WINDSOR – The Windsor Select Board dealt with an abbreviated agenda on November 22, with three board members in attendance. Selectmen Andrew Ballantyne and William Appel Jr. were absent…

The Remembrance Tree

Help us decorate the tree and at the same time remember a loved one. For only $10 a ball, you can commemorate a love one who has passed. Mail your donation and the names of your remembered loved ones to The Town Line, PO Box 89, South China, ME 04358. Deadline is Friday, December 16!

Local happenings

The Wreaths Across America caravan stops in China

CHINA – The Hannaford parking lot in South China was unusually crowded on Sunday, December 11, as the Wreaths Across America caravan stopped in China on its way to Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia, to lay wreaths during this holiday season on the graves of America’s fallen heroes… by Eric W. Austin

Scouts converge at Bomazeen for annual fall camporee

BELGRADE – More than one hundred Scouts and leaders from Somerset, Kennebec and Lincoln Counties descended on Camp Bomazeen in Belgrade for the annual Fall Camp-O-Ree held on the weekend of October 14 through 16. The theme was “Anything Goes with a Touch of Halloween”…

The Town Line to benefit from bag sales

CHINA – The Town Line, Inc., a weekly, reader-supported, nonprofit newspaper, has been selected again to receive $1 from every $2.50 reusable Community Bag sold during the month of January 2023 at Hannaford, 33 Hannaford Drive, in South China…

How to protect yourself from holiday shopping scams

CENTRAL ME – Online scams cost Americans nearly $7 billion throughout 2021, according to the FBI, and with the holiday shopping season ramping up, it’s vital that people understand how to avoid falling victim to scams…

Celebrating Maine history

Click here for all of our recent stories about the local history of Maine!

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Social clubs in Kennebec Valley (new)

CENTRAL ME HISTORY – Last week’s article talked mostly about ways early settlers interacted socially as individuals and families. This week’s piece will describe some of the 19th-century organizations that united residents and kept them busy, and related topics… by Mary Grow [1837 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Social activities

CENTRAL ME HISTORY – This year’s Nov. 6 time change, with darkness falling an hour earlier, led your writer to think about how central Kennebec Valley families passed long winter evenings 200 or 250 years ago – a research challenge, as few historians devoted pen and ink to such mundane events… by Mary Grow [1749 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Jefferson Medical College grads – Part 2

CENTRAL ME HISTORY – As promised last week, this week’s article will feature random information about three more central Kennebec Valley doctors with degrees from Jefferson Medical College, in Philadelphia. Their names were Cyrus Kendrick, Class of 1850, who practiced in Litchfield; James E. Tuell, Class of 1884, who practiced in Augusta and who started this topic; and Lewis King Austin, Class of 1894, who practiced, at least briefly, in Waterville… by Mary Grow [1513 words]

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Jefferson Medical College – Part 1

AUGUSTA HISTORY – Your writer recognized a question, probably unanswerable, left over from last week’s mention of Dr. James Tuell, of Augusta. Why had he chosen to attend Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, when Maine had a medical school at Bowdoin, founded in 1820, and there was one at Dartmouth, and numerous others closer than Philadelphia?… by Mary Grow [1923 words]

Give Us Your Best Shot!

The best recent photos from our readers!…

Webber’s Pond

Webber’s Pond is a comic drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident (click thumbnail to enlarge)…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Gaslight Theater announces audition dates for “Love Is Murder”

AUGUSTA — Auditions for Gaslight Theater’s first show of 2023 will be held Saturday and Sunday, December 17 and 18, at 6 p.m., at Hallowell City Hall. Love Is Murder is a comedic spoof of the romance novel industry written by Tim Kelly… and many other local events!

Obituaries

WINDSOR – Lawrence I. Finley, 62, passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, December 11, 2022… and remembering 11 others.

Common Ground: Win a $10 gift certificate!

DEADLINE: Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Identify the people in these three photos, and tell us what they have in common. You could win a $10 gift certificate to Hannaford Supermarket! Email your answer to townline@townline.org or through our Contact page. Include your name and address with your answer. Use “Common Ground” in the subject!

Previous winner: James McGrath, South China

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | As we enter into the Christmas season, I notice a lot of Christmas cards and greetings with the picture of a dove as a symbol of peace on earth and goodwill to men. Where did that all start? Why is the dove a symbol of peace?…

SMALL SPACE GARDENING

by Melinda Myers | Wreaths, door swags, garlands, and containers filled with evergreens have long been part of winter celebrations and displays. Keep them fresh and looking their best throughout the holidays with minimal effort…

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates | Seventeenth President Andrew Johnson (1808-1875), by his own hard-working ethic and insatiable desire to honorably better himself, became the kind of speaker that one New York Times correspondent would write with grudging admiration how this individual “cut and slashed right and left, tore big wounds and left something behind to fester and remember…

LIFE ON THE PLAINS

by Roland D. Hallee | One of the things about growing up on The Plains in the 1950s and ‘60s, is all the wonderful things you can pass down to your children and grandchildren. Granted, they look at you kind of funny when you tell these tales, because they are not sure if you are telling the truth or trying to put one over on them…

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) | Almost every American has a family member or friend affected by diabetes, and more than 1 in 10 Americans have the disease. Diabetes occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Diabetes can damage many of your organs, including your eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart, and is linked to some types of cancer…

Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Social clubs in Kennebec Valley

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Phonograph, circa 1890.

by Mary Grow

Last week’s article talked mostly about ways early settlers interacted socially as individuals and families. This week’s piece will describe some of the 19th-century organizations that united residents and kept them busy, and related topics.

Kennebec Valley towns had a variety of organizations, some branches of national groups and others home-grown. Some built headquarters buildings; other groups met wherever they could, in public spaces or private homes.

In her chapter on social life in Edwin Carey Whittemore’s centennial history, Martha Dunn described some of Waterville’s 19th-century organizations. Separate chapters listed others.

The first Waterville literary organization for which Dunn found records was the Shakespearean Club, whose members presented Shakespeare’s plays. Started about 1852, it included men and women. Meetings were held weekly “during the winter season” at members’ houses.

Dunn named two members: Baptist church pastor Rev. N[athaniel] Milton Wood, “a man of strict tenets and naturally lugubrious cast of countenance,” who reportedly “not only excelled but delighted in the representation of comic parts”; and Mrs. Ephraim Maxham (the former Eliza Anna Naylor, according to on-line sources), wife of the Waterville Mail owner-editor, who “was especially skilled in the rendering of tragedy.”

The club disbanded during the Civil War and after the war reformed as the Roundabout and continued another half-dozen years, becoming, Dunn wrote, less intellectual and “more given to feasting and social enjoyments.”

Mrs. James H. Hanson (the former Mary E. Field, of Sidney) wrote a chapter in Whittemore’s history on the Waterville Women’s Association, an organization praised by Dunn and in Henry Kingsbury’s Kennebec County history. Dunn called it the place “where women may work – and enjoy – together, independent of society distinctions or church affiliations.”

A wealthy widow named Sarah Scott Ware (Mrs. John Ware, Sr.) founded the Association in 1897, with working women and girls foremost in her mind. She wanted to provide a “homelike” place for them, with “facilities for literary and womanly culture and usefulness,” beginning with a lending library.

By 1902 the club had well over 100 members. Its rooms provided books, magazines and newspapers; games; and a sewing machine. Women and girls attended late-afternoon programs and evening classes (Kingsbury listed instruction in “needlework, penmanship, music and a variety of useful arts”). The group ran a lunchroom, an employment bureau and a second-hand clothing distribution center.

Funding came from donations and, Hanson wrote, “the successful doll sales and May-basket sales.” For those she credited the enthusiasm and skill of the young members; they “were also indispensable in the work of the schools,” she wrote.

The Women’s Association spun off the Women’s Literary Club in the winter of 1891-1892. Dunn wrote the members met “fortnightly during the winter season” for literary and musical programs, gathering in church vestries, at Waterville Classical Institute (so named in 1865; after 1883, Coburn Classical Institute) or in members’ houses.

A separate club called the Literature Class, with a dozen members, met weekly “during the winter months.”

Augusta, according to Kingsbury, had a Benevolent Society, started about 1842 “by Miss Jane Howard, a maiden lady whose name is still fragrant in this community, by reason of her many deeds of benevolence and charity.” Later renamed the Howard Benevolent Society and in 1883 The Howard Benevolent Union, Kingsbury said its work was primarily “clothing the poor.”

The Fairfield bicentennial history records a Ladies Book Club, started in 1895. As described in the Nov. 11, 2021, The Town Line, one founding member was Addie Lawrence, whose father a few years later donated money to build Fairfield’s Lawrence Library.

Vassalboro historian Alma Pierce Robbins listed – without dates – four clubs, at least three identified as women’s clubs, and said two of them “met at members’ homes year ’round.”

In Palermo, historian Milton Dowe wrote, the Branch Mills Ladies Sewing Circle first met on March 10, 1853, hosted by Mrs. B. Harrington (almost certainly the wife of Barzillai Harrington; he was recognized in the Sept. 23, 2021, issue of The Town Line for starting a high school in China’s side of Branch Mills Village about 1851).

The sewing circle remained active for years; its members were responsible for construction of the Branch Mills Community House in 1922.

Among national/international organizations with local affiliates, the Masons, mostly the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons (A. F. & A. M.), had branches in many Maine towns.

Windsor had Malta Lodge for about five years in the 1880s, according to Leonard Lowden’s town history. Members customarily met “weekly on Saturday nights.” After the lodge shut down, on “Saturday evening, December 12, 1885,” the few Windsor men still interested joined the lodge in Weeks Mills, “on Saturday night, May 29, 1886.”

Kingsbury wrote that Benton’s Lodge was organized Nov. 21, 1891, and as he finished his county history in 1892 was “in a flourishing condition.” Members met every Thursday evening in one of Benton’s schoolhouses.

Masonic lodges were also noted in histories of Augusta (four lodges, the earliest founded in 1821); China (four lodges, the first dating from 1824); Clinton (Sebasticook Lodge, chartered in May 1868); and Fairfield (Siloam Lodge, chartered March 8, 1858, with 13 members).

Sidney’s branch of the A. F. & A. M. was Rural Lodge No. 53, according to Alice Hammond’s town history. A dozen men, some members of a lodge in Waterville, started it on April 25, 1827.

The lodge disbanded in 1836, she wrote, “because of the violent anti-masonic feeling which prevailed at that time.” The China bicentennial history expanded on that theme, quoting from Thomas Burrill’s history of Central Lodge.

Burrill said “Antimasonry” started about 1829 and soon “assumed a most formidable type of persecution, both against Masons and Masonry.” Central Lodge members got rid of their paraphernalia, sending “their beautiful painted flooring” to a Lodge in St. Croix and abandoning their hall. The Lodge reassembled in 1849.

Sidney’s Rural Lodge was revived in 1863, Hammond said. A Masonic Hall was built in 1887 and dedicated Jan. 3, 1888. After the dedication and installation of officers, members went to Sidney Town Hall “where a bountiful repast was served and a social time enjoyed.”

Rural Lodge No. 53 is still active, listed on a Maine Masons website, with a photo of the white wooden lodge hall at 3000 Middle Road. The website also lists Lodges in Augusta, China (China Village), Clinton, Fairfield, Waterville and Weeks Mills (China).

The Order of the Eastern Star, related to the Masons and open to women and men, had branches in China, Fairfield and Waterville, among other towns.

Another widely represented organization was the Independent Order of Good Templars (I. O. G. T.). Founded in New York State in 1852, it soon became an international temperance organization open to men and women. Maine’s Grand Lodge of the I. O. G. T. was created in the summer of 1860.

The Sons of Temperance, founded in 1842, also organized in the area, including, Kingsbury wrote, three local branches in China.

In Vassalboro, historian Robbins saw temperance as an issue from the 1820s. In 1821, eight “innkeepers” got liquor licenses, she wrote; by 1829 Congregational pastor Rev. Thomas Adams was preaching temperance.

In 1834, Robbins wrote, Vassalboro’s Juvenile Temperance Society was organized. The president was Abiel John Getchel; an on-line search found a Vassalboro resident of that name (spelled Getchell) born in Vassalboro in 1815, so 19 years old in 1834. One of three executive committee members was Greenlief Low, born in 1817.

R. B. Hall

Vassalboro had three I. O. G. T. Lodges, Robbins wrote. Each had its own meeting hall: “a nice little hall” at Riverside (demolished in the 1930s): “Golden Cross Hall” in North Vassalboro; and Maccabees Hall “in Center Vassalboro or Cross Hill.”

The buildings were supposed to be only for the organizations’ events, Robbins wrote, but later she said Maccabees Hall was the scene of “many meetings.” The Riverside hall hosted dances, “Christian Endeavor plays” and “demonstrations of ‘fireless cookers'” by the University of Maine Extension Service.

(Wikipedia says The Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavour was founded in 1881 in Portland by Rev. Francis Edward Clark, with the goal of bringing young people to interdenominational Christian belief and work. By 1906 there were more than four million members around the world in “67,000 youth-led…societies.” Causes members supported included temperance.)

Dowe wrote the Good Templars and Christian Endeavor were active in 19th-century Palermo. The East Palermo schoolhouse, he wrote, served as a community center and “church for prayer meetings and the Young People’s Christian Endeavor.”

The schoolhouse also hosted singing, spelling and writing schools, Dowe said. When phonographs first came to Palermo, an unspecified group or person would charge admission to listen to one in the schoolhouse.

In her history of Sidney, Alice Hammond found another reference to phonograph shows: she reproduced a poster advertising PHONOGRAPH!, an exhibition starting at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 5, 1892, at the Grange Hall, in Centre Sidney.

“There will be an exhibition of the marvels of the modern phonograph,” the poster promised. “It Will Talk, Laugh, Sing, Whistle, Play on all sorts Instruments including Full Brass Band.”

Professor R. B. Capen, of Augusta, would explain the device. Admission was 20 cents, half price for children under 12.

The exhibition would be followed by a supper “Furnished at the Hall” and a Grand Ball, with music by Dennis’ Orchestra of Augusta, dance tickets sold at 50 cents for each couple and dancing until 2 a.m.

Another organization Lowden noted was the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), the Civil War veterans’ organization founded in 1866 in Illinois and dissolved in 1956 after its last member died. The Windsor post was organized June 2, 1884, and met in its hall on the second floor of the town house “on each Saturday night” (with at least one Wednesday evening gathering – see the paragraphs on Civil War soldier Marcellus Vining in the March 31, 2022, issue of The Town Line).

Augusta had Masons and Odd Fellows; a lodge of the Knights of Honor (its chief officer’s title was dictator, according to Kingsbury); Dirigo Council No. 790 of the Royal Arcanum (1883); and Tribe No. 12 of the Independent Order of Red Men (1888).

Late 19th-century organizations in Fairfield included local Masons and Odd Fellows; an Eastern Star chapter; and the Past and Present Club, organized by 15 women in 1892 and accepted into the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1899.

Waterville had Masons, Odd Fellows, Good Templars, a Tribe of Red Men and numerous other groups. Whittemore listed Hall’s Military Band, the late-19th-century successor to local brass bands first organized in 1822; a choral group named the Cecilia Club, organized in 1896; and since 1892 the Waterville Bicycle Club and the Waterville Gun Club.

The Bicycle Club, Whittemore wrote, rented an entire floor of the Boutelle Block at Main and Temple streets. The premises hosted meetings and social events; gambling and liquor were banned.

The Gun Club’s five-man team won state championships in 1897, 1898 and 1901. The club produced two individual state champions, Walter E. Reid once and Samuel L. Preble twice (no years given).

Main sources

Dowe, Milton E., History Town of Palermo Incorporated 1884 (1954).
Fairfield Historical Society, Fairfield, Maine 1788-1988 (1988).
Grow, Mary M., China Maine Bicentennial History including 1984 revisions (1984).
Hammond, Alice, History of Sidney Maine 1792-1992 (1992).
Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).
Lowden, Linwood H., good Land & fine Contrey but Poor roads a history of Windsor, Maine (1993).
Robbins, Alma Pierce, History of Vassalborough Maine 1771 1971 n.d. (1971).
Whittemore, Rev. Edwin Carey, Centennial History of Waterville 1802-1902 (1902).

Websites, miscellaneous.

FOR YOUR HEALTH – Diabetes management: it takes a team

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Working with a team of health care professionals can help you get the ­diabetes care you need to improve your health.

(NAPSI)—Almost every American has a family member or friend affected by diabetes, and more than 1 in 10 Americans have the disease. Diabetes occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Diabetes can damage many of your organs, including your eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart, and is linked to some types of cancer.

If you have diabetes, working with a team of health care professionals can offer you the personal care you need to improve your health. Your team may include your primary care provider, a nurse, an eye doctor, a certified diabetes educator, a pharmacist and others. Your team can give you advice, recommend a program to manage your diabetes and answer any questions you may have.

“Working with a team helps ensure people stay on top of their self-care plan, including having their blood pressure, feet and weight checked regularly,” said National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Director Dr. Griffin P. ­Rodgers. “Routine health care will help people find and treat health problems early, or help prevent them altogether.”

But remember, you are the most important participant in your diabetes care. Here are some tips to help you manage your diabetes. • Become an expert on your disease, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

• Talk with your primary care provider and other members of your health care team about ways to manage your diabetes as early as possible. Your health care team can also help you develop a plan to prevent diabetes-related health problems.
• Get routine medical exams to check your blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure and weight. Keep a list of your numbers so you can see how they are changing. • Have routine eye, foot and dental checks, because you may not have any symptoms until you develop serious health problems.
• If you smoke or use other tobacco products, stop.
• Ask your primary care provider what vaccines you should get to reduce your risk of getting sick, such as a flu shot, pneumonia shot or COVID-19 vaccines.

Healthy habits can also help manage your diabetes. Set a goal to be physically active on most days of the week. A daily walk with a friend or a family member is one way to be physically active. If you are not active now, ask your health care team about the types and amounts of physical activity that meet your needs.

Following a diabetes meal plan can help manage your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol. Choose foods that are lower in calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and salt, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, tofu, beans, seeds and nonfat or low-fat milk and cheese. Your primary care provider may refer you to a registered dietitian to help you create a meal plan that is easy for you to follow and has the nutrients to help manage your diabetes.

Stress can lead to unhealthy habits such as smoking, poor sleep and excessive eating. Take part in a diabetes education program or support group that teaches you techniques for managing stress. You can also ask for help if you feel down or overwhelmed. Talking with a mental health counselor, friend or family member about your feelings may help you feel better.

Working with your diabetes health care team makes it possible to get the care you need to live a healthy and fulfilled life. To learn more about how to manage diabetes, visit the NIDDK website at www.niddk.nih.gov.

LIFE ON THE PLAINS: Oh, those wives tales and …isms

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Water St., Waterville, The Plains, circa 1930. Note the trolley in the center of the photo. The trolley ceased operations on October 10, 1937. Many of the buildings in this photo are no longer there. (photo courtesy of Roland Hallee)

by Roland D. Hallee

One of the things about growing up on The Plains in the 1950s and ‘60s, is all the wonderful things you can pass down to your children and grandchildren. Granted, they look at you kind of funny when you tell these tales, because they are not sure if you are telling the truth or trying to put one over on them.

You have to admit, times are different, and sometimes they can’t believe how life was back then.

For instance, all those “mother-isms” and wives tales that were brought down from Canada, which they grew up believing.

OK, so let’s take a look at some of them.

Growing up the third born of four boys, I got a lot of hand-me-downs from my two older brothers. When the oldest outgrew the clothes, they were handed down, cleaned and mended when needed. I can’t tell you how many pairs of pants I wore that contained patches, and mended holes. This is where I get strange looks from my grandchildren. Our mother would actually darn the holes in our socks. Today, they just throw them out and buy new ones, if they wear socks at all.

When you reached a certain height and your pant legs were now above your ankles, those pants were referred to as being “high water pants”. Meaning, of course, that should there be a flood or “high water”, your pants wouldn’t get wet.

Here are two others, usually during the winter:

Being busy with snow shoveling, building snow forts, or taking care of our backyard ice rink, we often went storming out of the house without closing the door behind us. That’s when our mother would yell, “close the door, we are not heating the outside!” But, you had to be careful. Once, in my haste for time, I went back and slammed the door behind me, breaking the glass in the process. That cost me $1.50 out of my hard-earned money from my paper route, plus a walk to the hardware store, Waterville Hardware and Plumbing, on Main St., to replace the window. It was a cold night and the wind was blowing. I was always gentle closing the door after that.

A second one was when you came back into the house, cold and shivering, and in a hurry to huddle around the wood stove. You would, again, leave the door open behind you. Thence came the call, “close the door, we don’t live in a barn!” So, we went back and closed the door, gently.

This next one is a good one. I’ve told it to a lot of people, and no one, to this day, has ever heard it before. Our mother was a self-proclaimed meteorologist.

She would get up early in the morning, and begin to get breakfast for us before taking on the task of waking us and getting us ready to deliver our paper route. On the third day of every month, she would proclaim – whatever the weather – that whatever the weather is on the third day of the month, was going to be the prevailing weather for that month. Over the last six decades plus, I have meant to keep track of that, but by the time the end of the month comes around, I have forgotten what the weather was on the third day. An inexact science that I have been unable to prove.

Speaking of the weather, here is another:

We would get up, usually it was still dark, and we would get dressed without turning on a light. Then, we’d go downstairs. If your shirt wasn’t buttoned properly – like the buttons were in the wrong button holes – our mother would exclaim, “What are you trying to do, change the weather?” That usually came when we had experienced a recent spell of nice weather. I guess it was an old wives tale, but it’s another one I haven’t been able to prove.

I’m sure there are others, but these were the ones that I remember, and actually, still use to this day, to some degree, much to the amusement of my grandchildren. Thankfully, my great-grandchildren are too young to indoctrinate them. That will come later.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Andrew Johnson

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Andrew Johnson

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Andrew Johnson

Seventeenth President Andrew Johnson (1808-1875), by his own hard-working ethic and insatiable desire to honorably better himself, became the kind of speaker that one New York Times correspondent would write with grudging admiration how this individual “cut and slashed right and left, tore big wounds and left something behind to fester and remember. His phraseology may be uncouth, but his views are easily understood and he talks strong thoughts and carefully culled facts in quick succession.”

As with several other presidents, Johnson was born into poverty; his early years were spent in North Carolina, his father died when Johnson was three, and his mother apprenticed the boy to a tailor.

He became a very skilled tailor but disliked his boss and ran away, eventually relocating in the Tennessee mountain village of Greeneville where he set up his own very successful tailoring business.

When 15 year old Eliza McCardle (1810-1876) first saw Andrew, she commented to a friend, “There goes my beau;” they were married a year later in her mother’s house, the ceremony being presided over by Mordecai Lincoln, the uncle of the former 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.

She helped immensely with her husband’s education, especially in arithmetic and writing. And, when her husband became interested in politics, she fully supported his ambition, but rarely joined him in public appearances.

Johnson was elected mayor of Greeneville, served in the state legislature and five terms in the House of Representatives, and as governor and U.S. Senator before being picked by Abraham Lincoln to replace Maine’s own Hamilton Hamlin as vice-president when Lincoln was elected to a second term in 1864.

Andrew Johnson’s speeches and convictions resonated with the farmers and day laborers of the Tennessee mountains and valleys, a constituency that had little use for the wealthy plantation slave owners. Johnson was against high tariffs and wasteful government spending because they raised the cost of living for working people, spoke up for freedom of speech and religion and, although a Democrat, maintained a feisty independence in what was morally right.

Before Bill Clinton, and later Donald Trump, Andrew Johnson was the only president to undergo an impeachment trial, due to the obnoxious Radical Republicans who were doing their best to subvert the executive and judicial branches in attempts to pursue their own agendas, especially in relation to revenge against the former Confederate states and its citizens. Johnson, like his predecessor Lincoln, believed in a more moderate policy of healing and reconciliation as best for the country, which antagonized most of Congress; his acquittal was due to the vote of one man, Senator Edmund Ross, of Kansas, who was one of the subjects of JFK’s 1956 book, Profiles in Courage.

Droves of fascinating material on Johnson’s own presidency exists and could prove that his ranking as one of the worst presidents is grossly unfair.

In 1874, Johnson became the only former president to be re-elected to the U.S. Senate, was strangely given a hero’s welcome by the entire chamber including his former political enemies. Being a gentle forgiving man, Johnson shook hands with these enemies.

He died within six months of a stroke while visiting his daughter in July 1875, at the age of 66.

A visitor to the White House, Charles Dickens described Johnson’s face as “remarkable…indicating courage, watchfulness and certainly strength of purpose.”

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Keep holiday greens looking their best

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When outdoor temperatures are cooler, green arrangements, like this winter container garden, last much longer than indoor displays. (photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com)

by Melinda Myers

Wreaths, door swags, garlands, and containers filled with evergreens have long been part of winter celebrations and displays. Keep them fresh and looking their best throughout the holidays with minimal effort.

Fresh greenery with pliable branches and firmly attached needles will last the longest. Check for good color and an aroma you prefer. Consider buying extra greenery and storing it in the garage or another cool location. Use these to replace any indoor greenery that is starting to brown.

Recut the bottom of the stems with a sharp bypass pruner. Totally submerge the greenery in a tub of room-temperature water overnight to help rehydrate the needles. Gently crush the cut end to allow it to better absorb moisture.

Remove the cuttings from the water and once dry, seal in the moisture by spraying the greens with an anti-transpirant, often called anti-desiccant. These products seal in moisture, reducing drying due to warm, dry air indoors and drying winds and sunlight outside.

Follow label directions for application tips and dilution rates based on what you are treating. Avoid using these on juniper berries, cedar and blue spruce. The waxy coating that makes these look blue can be damaged by these products. Apply anti-desiccant products outdoors during the day, as light is needed to activate some of these chemicals. Allow the treated greens to dry for three to four hours before moving them inside.

Display indoor greenery in cool locations out of direct sunlight. This reduces moisture loss and extends the life of your garland, wreaths, and arrangements.

Keep greenery away from heat sources that speed drying, decorative lights that generate heat, and flames from candles. Check the greens every few days and replace dry, brittle, and brown cuttings with fresh greens.

Outdoor greenery lasts much longer when temperatures are cooler than indoors. Further extend their longevity by placing them in more sheltered locations, out of direct sunlight and wind where they suffer less drying. Avoid hanging wreaths and swags in front of windows in direct sunlight where the reflected light can burn the foliage. Use an anti-transpirant on outdoor greenery to help reduce moisture loss and extend your enjoyment.

Keep outdoor planters of greens looking their best throughout the winter. Keep the soil moist until it freezes when displaying spruce tips, cut holiday trees, and evergreen stems in outdoor containers. If and when the ground freezes, you can stop watering.

A bit of effort goes a long way in extending the beauty of holiday greenery.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

Scouts converge at Bomazeen for annual fall camporee

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Troop #213 Scouts Eddie Seiders, of South Bristol, Finley Greenleaf and Peter Delonzo, both of Jefferson, Elijah Smith, of Boothbay, and Malachi Donaldson, of Boothbay Harbor, camped overnight in the rain and wind but had a great time. (contributed photo)

by Chuck Mahaleris

More than one hundred Scouts and leaders from Somerset, Kennebec and Lincoln Counties descended on Camp Bomazeen in Belgrade for the annual Fall Camp-O-Ree held on the weekend of October 14 through 16. The theme was “Anything Goes with a Touch of Halloween.”

Each Scout troop that attended not only camped out but ran one of the stations. These ranged from such traditional Scouting activities such as Orienteering, Pioneering, Primitive Fire Building and Shooting Sports to more Spooky-themed events such as Witches Brew Stew Competition, creepy obstacle course, and best Halloween Costumes. Scouts also went trick or treating from station to station collecting candy as they went.

Troop #433, of Winslow, won the gateway competition. (contributed photo)

“Our little spook-o-ree drew in a whole bunch of Scouts who got to go from station to station performing their scout skills for points,” said Chris Bernier, of Winslow, who ran the event. “Huge thank you to all of the staff who came out to lend a hand running events and thank you to the leaders of all the units who came for also running a station. I already miss sharing a campfire with all of you and I can not wait for the Klondike Derby and Spring Camporee.”

Troop #213,, of Damariscotta, opted to set up their campsite on Friday night in the rain and wind. The troop set up a large boat tarp and then set up the individual Scout tents underneath. The Augusta area saw nearly three and half inches of rain that night but no amount of rain could dampen the enthusiasm.

Sunday morning everyone met for the closing ceremony and some great prizes were handed out. There was a new camp stove, a 12-inch Dutch oven, a tripod cooking grill, a water bladder, a fire grill, a portable sink and a plastic bucket as the blanket prizes. The prizes were chosen by the winners based on ranking.

For overall points, Troop #401, Sidney took first place. Troop #485, of Skowhegan, was second place overall.

For Troop Gateway competition, Troop #433, of Winslow, came in first place. Troop #485, of Skowhegan, came in second place, and Troop #401, of Sidney, came in third place.

For the Witches Brew Stew competition, Troop #485, of Skowhegan, took first place.

OBITUARIES for Thursday, December 15, 2022

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CRAIG D. LEIGHTON

CLINTON – Craig D. Leighton, 46, of Clinton, passed away Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at GrayBirch Long Term Care facility, in Augusta, following a long and hard-fought battle with Hunt­ington’s Disease. Craig was born in May 1976, in Augusta. He attended Hall-Dale High School, graduating in 1995 and then completed three years of college at Zion Bible Institute, in Barrington, Rhode Island, where he was studying to be a youth pastor.

He married his wife, Christine (Darling) Leighton, in June 1997, and just celebrated their 25th anniversary this past June.

Craig’s faith was extremely important to him, and he was actively involved in the church he grew up in, Mountaintop Christian Fellowship, in Oakland, where he worked as a youth pastor for several years. Craig also worked as a supervisor at Good-Will Hinckley School , in Hinckley, for over a decade. Craig’s love for working with teens, especially those who were struggling, was known by all who knew him well. One of Craig’s fondest memories was taking a mission trip to Turkey and Bulgaria. He loved the people he met there and hoped to one day go back.

Craig is survived by his wife, Christine (Darling) Leighton, of Clinton; and their two children, Ashley Nichole Leighton, also of Clinton, and Austin Craig Leighton, who is currently stationed in Arizona with the U.S. Army; his parents, Paul and Sandra (Gibbons) Leighton, of Oakland; his brother Derek Nickerson and his wife Michaela (Foster) Nickerson and their two children, Macy and Timmy Nickerson, all of Oakland.

He was preceded in death by his brothers Michael and Troy Leighton.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at Centerpoint Community Church, located at 155 West River Road, in Waterville, on Friday, December 23, at 11 am. Following the service, food and beverages will be provided.

Arrangements are under the direction and care of Gallant Funeral Home, 10 Elm Street, Waterville, Maine 04901.

An online guestbook may be signed, condolences and memories shared at http://www.gallantfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America for continued research to find a cure at Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 505 Eighth Ave. Suite 902, New York, NY 10018.

TRACIE E. YOUNG

CLINTON – Tracie E. Young, 55, passed away on Thursday, December 1, 2022. Tracie was born December 12, 1966, in Bangor, the youngest daughter of the late Harold C. Young and Mary V. (Pollard) Young.

Tracie worked for the Red Cross, Unitel, and Colby College, in Waterville. Ultimately, Tracie’s most rewarding “job” was raising her grandchildren, Jordan and Jaiden Roye, as her own at home, in Clinton.

Tracie had a very gracious and generous spirit.

Tracie is survived by her mother, Mary Young; life partner Ernest (Ernie) Tyler; children Melissa Roye and William Tyler; grandchildren, Jordan and Jaiden Roye, Alexis and Noella Tyler; siblings and spouses, Scott Young and wife Bobbi, Michael Young and wife Patty, Kimberly Caswell and husband Kurt, and Bethany Nelson and husband Howard; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A private celebration of Tracie’s life will be held in the spring.

Memories and condolences may be shared at directcremationofmaine.com.

Please consider doing a good deed for a person or persons, known or unknown, in her memory.

HERBERT A. IRISH

FAIRFIELD – Herbert A. Irish, 78, of Fairfield, passed away Friday, December 2, 2022. Herbert was born on August 24, 1944, in Clinton, to the late Glenburn and Seenna Irish.

He graduated from Clinton High School, the class of 1962. Herbert drove a school bus, worked in the woods and volunteered for the Clinton Fire Department and food bank. He worked for Scott Paper Co., in Winslow, for 30 years.

He loved to hunt and fish, and did so for many years with his buddy Lawrence “Hawk” and his granddaughter, Rachel. Herbert, with his dog, Wild Bill at his side, took home the winning coon hunting State line Title, at Lyman.

He was a gruff man whose bark was bigger than his bite as he truly had a heart of gold. Herbert also liked going to concerts, partying, and roller skating.

He was predeceased by his parents; his grandparents; his brothers Eugene Irish, Louis Irish and Sonny Irish and his wife, Bunny Irish.

Surviving are his partner, Rolena Irish; his son, Robert Irish; his grandchildren Ashley Gerry, Rachel Irish (who he raised since she was 2 years old), Tila-Rae Irish, and Seth Irish; his great-grandsons Tex and Owen; and his sisters-in-law Linda, Mary (Hazel), Regina, Cindy and Melissa; and his niece, Glendia Irish-Arrigoni.

A celebration of life and graveside service will be held in the spring. Memories and condolences may be shared at directcremationofmaine.com.

KYVELE G. ST. PETER

WATERVILLE – Kyvele Gregory St. Peter, 97, passed away on Sunday, December 4, 2022, at home. Kyvele was born on February 15, 1925, in Anemotia Mytilene, Greece, to George and Sophia Hadidiacos.

In 1946 Kyvele’s parents, together with her brother and sister, came to the United States. Because Kyvele was over the age of 19 years old, immigration laws prevented her from joining them and she was left behind. Kyvele was left without any family as her other two brothers were serving in Germany. This was a difficult time for all. Deeply missing her family, it was to be five years before they were reunited. This became possible when Kostas I. Gregory, a good friend of Kyvele’s parents, offered to marry her. Going to Bermuda, Kyvele was met by her father who introduced her to her future husband. Kyvele and Kostas married in 1951 and stayed in Bermuda for three months until her visa came through.

Upon their arrival to the United States, Kyvele and Kostas settled in Waterville, and had a Greek Orthodox wedding at St. George Church, in Bangor, in August 1952. Together they raised two sons, Kostas and George, while maintaining a successful apartment rental business, which Kyvele continued to run until the age of 94. Coming to the United States and marrying Kostas Gregory improved Kyvele’s life, but he passed too soon. Kyvele had to start a new life once again. Upon Kostas’ death in 1960, Kyvele assumed full responsibilities. She had a difficult time with the English language, raising two young sons and running a business on her own. Because of her education in Greece, attending English classes for several years wasn’t too difficult. Kyvele went on to get her driver’s license and worked in the rental business as a single parent for four years.

In 1964, Kyvele married Sheldon E. St. Peter and life became easier with his help. In 1966, Kyvele proudly received her American citizenship. Together Kyvele and Sheldon raised the boys and shared responsibilities in the business. Sheldon filled the role of father and the boys never thought of him as a stepfather, only as their dad. Kyvele was always helping her tenants any way possible to improve their lives. She worked hard to ensure her sons would have a better life and education.

Kyvele and Sheldon enjoyed snowmobiling with the International Snowmobile Club. She enjoyed her camp with her grandchildren, fishing, boating and swimming. Visitors were always welcome, enjoying cookouts and Greek food. Kyvele donated many hand-knit articles to the church and the needy; and was passionate about gardening (she was a real green thumb) and cooking. Her family, especially her grandchildren, were her life. Kyvele enjoyed traveling, wintering in Jacksonville, Florida, trips to Bermuda and Greece and traveling with friends.

She enjoyed ballroom dancing with private lessons, never missing a Saturday night with friends. Kyvele joined St. George Orthodox Church, in Bangor, in 1951, contributing to services in good standing and was also a faithful attendant of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, of Waterville. For many years she assisted the priest in organizing Orthodox services in Waterville. Kyvele was honored for her work in 2005, receiving the ministry award from the Metropolis of Boston.

Kyvele was predeceased by her parents, George and Sophia Hadidiacos, her brother, Veron and his wife Cleo, her brother Pericles and his wife Artimus, her first husband, Kostas I. Gregory, her second husband of 48 years, Sheldon St. Peter, her brother-in-law, Peter Lee, her Uncle Peter Pericles, her sister-in-law, Elaine Hadidiacos, and nephew-in-law Carl Snow.

Kyvele is survived by her two sons, Kostas C. Gregory and his wife Erna-Sue, of Waterville, and George K. Gregory, of Rhode Island; five grandchildren, Nike Gregory and her partner John Elwell, of Massachusetts, Konstantinos Gregory and his partner Cecilia Avina Lopez, of California, Yorgos Gregory and his wife Erika, of Massachusetts, Burke Gregory, of Massachusetts, Madison Gregory and partner Joy Olson, of California; and two great-granddaughters Emilia and Olivia Gregory, both of Massachusetts; two great-grandsons Konstantinos and Emiliano Gregory, both of California; her sister, Chris Lee, of Winslow; brother Christos Hadidiacos, of Maryland; nieces Betty Lee, of Bangor, Michelle Belski and her husband Gary and son Jordan, of Maryland, Sophia Kavoulas and husband Demetrios, of Greece; and nephews Lewis Lee, of Winslow, Michael Hadidiacos and wife Kristina, of North Carolina, Yorgos Hadidiacos and Demetrios Hadidiacos, of Chicago, and Godchild, Dora Kalfas and husband Christos, of Greece; stepdaughter, Rosemary Drouin; stepsons, Willis and John St. Peter; and several step-grandchildren; many more nieces and nephews in Greece.

Service was at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 60 Eustis Parkway, in Waterville, on Tuesday, December 13..

An online guestbook may be signed, and condolences and memories shared at http://www.gallantfh.com.

Donations can be made in Kyvele’s memory to St. George Greek Orthodox Church, at 90 Sanford St., Bangor, ME 04401, or to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 60 Eustis Parkway, Waterville, ME 04901.

CLARENCE E. BICKFORD JR.

WATERVILLE – Clarence E. Bickford Jr., 87, of Waterville, passed away on Sunday, December 4, 2022, at Nothern Light Inland Hos­pital, in Water­ville.

Services for will be held at a later date. Please visit http://www.gallantfh.com to read the full obituary.

CHRISTIE H. POWELL

SIDNEY – Christie Hutchinson Powell, 64, passed away Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at a healthcare facility, in Sidney. She was born June 25, 1958, to Armand and Arlene (Judkins) Hutchinson.

She grew up in Belgrade, and graduated from Messalonskee High School, in Oakland, class of 1976. She attended Northeastern University, in Boston, Massachusett, and received her degree from University of Augusta.

Christie spent most of her adult life working in healthcare. Later she worked at LL Bean until health issues caused her to stop working.

Christie enjoyed time spent at the family camp in Weld, Maine; her favorite place to be with family and friends.

Christie was predeceased by her parents, Armand and Arlene (Judkins) Hutchinson.

She is survived by two grandchildren; an aunt, Barbara York, and many cousins and friends.

A graveside service will be held later in the spring at the family plot in Pine Grove Cemetery in Belgrade.

Arrangements are in the care of Wheeler Funeral Home, 26 Church Street, Oakland, where condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at http://www.lawrybrothers.com.

JOSEPH W. HERARD

WATERVILLE – Joseph W. Herard, 86, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at Oak Grove Nursing Home, in Waterville, following a long illness. Joseph was born on February 26, 1936, in Waterville, the son of Wilfred and Emily Herard.

“Will’’ as his school friends called him, graduated from Waterville High School in 1955. Upon graduation, he served in the U.S. Air Force for four years until being honorably discharged in 1960.

Upon returning to Maine, he began working at Scott Paper Co., in Winslow. Years later, Joe moved over to the Hinckley SAPPI plant where he retired. He met and married the love of his life, Lucy LeClair, in February , 1963. Together, Lucy and “Junior” raised four children.

Joseph enjoyed watching all of the New England sports teams, working on projects around his house and watching his family enjoy his swimming pool. He loved spending time with his family, taking family road trips and spoiling his eight grandchildren, Cody, Nicholas, Matthew, Scott, Michael, Jack, Olivia and Ashleigh, along with his great-grandchildren Ronan, Celia and Ellyanna.

Joseph was predeceased by his parents Wilfred and Emily; his siblings, David, Raymond, and Teresa; and his first grandson, Christopher Kenneth Herard.

Joseph, aka “Will” “Joe” and “Junior”, is survived by his wife Lucy; his sons, Kenneth and his wife, Monique, of Coventry, Rhode Island, Carl and his wife, Terri, of Bowdoinham, David and his wife, Nancy, of New Hampshire and Paul and his wife, Cathy, of Waterville; along with many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., on Thursday, December 15, at Notre Dame Church, in Waterville, with burial services following the funeral at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, Grove St., in Waterville.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home, 8 Elm St., Waterville, ME 04901. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at http://www.VeilleuxFuneralHome.com for the Herard family.

KATHLEEN LAI

WATERVILLE – Kathleen “Kathy” “Kat” (Smith) Lai, 73, passed away on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, following a protracted battle with Multiple Sclerosis. She was born on March 5, 1949, in Boston, Massachusetts,

Kathy is survived by her son, Christopher; grandson, Nicholas Dumont and his wife Sara; great-granddaughters Diana and Camille; brother, Ricky Smith and his wife Mary; sisters Peggy Violette and her husband Lucien, and Darlene Chamberlain; nephews Dale, Joshua and Ming; and nieces Tabitha, Heather and Kitty.

Kathy was predeceased by her husband, Sun Lai; mother, Gloria Smith, father, Montague Smith; brother, Robbie Smith; and best friend, Flo Welch.

A graveside service was held at St. Francis Cemetery, on Grove Street, in Waterville, on Wednesday December 14. Family and friends are invited to attend.

A full obituary is online and a guestbook may be signed, and condolences and memories shared at http://www.gallantfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation: http://msfocus.org/Home.aspx.

MADOLYN E. HOSEA

OCALA, Florida – Madolyn Enid (Closson) Hosea, 86, of Ocala, passed away on Thursday, December 8, 2022, at Hospice of Marion County. She was born in Vassalboro, on September 15, 1936, the daughter of Wyman and Lillian (Dolley) Closson.

She was the fourth of six children, was blessed early on with the gift of discernment, and delighted many with her talent for cooking, baking and painting. She attended culinary arts courses as a young woman and became a skilled cake decorator.

Madolyn met the love of her life, Mark Tingley Hosea, at Advent Christian Church, in Waterville. Not long after, they married August 6, 1955, when she was 19 years old. Together they had four children, Rhonda, Marcia, Mary and Joel, whom they raised in their North Vassalboro home, the White Haven, that doubled as a boarding house for seniors.

Throughout her 20s and 30s, Madolyn was not only a devoted wife and mother but simultaneously worked as the sole manager, chef and caretaker for the White Haven residents.

When Mark moved the family to Florida in 1975 to serve at Forest Assembly of God Church, in Silver Springs, Madolyn remained the ever-stable and constant cornerstone for her family. Madolyn worked long bakery shifts at the Kash n’ Karry and Publix, and she made their little house in the forest a home in her spare time.

Madolyn was a deeply faithful, practical, observant, honest, dependable, consistent, hard-working and selfless woman. She had a keen, sharp sense of humor that could make a stony-faced person burst out in deep belly laughs when you’d least expect it. She loved deep maroon and grayish blue, red birds and mallard ducks, oil painting and Chinese checkers.

Madolyn was a faithful woman of God. She enjoyed teaching Sunday school in most of the churches they attended. Throughout the final years of their life, Madolyn and Mark remained dedicated and active members of their church. They would have celebrated 67 years of marriage in August.

Madolyn is survived by her children, Rhonda Drusendahl, Marcia Stevens, Mary Box and Joel Hosea, all of Ocala; her sisters Esther Pierce of Jaffrey, New Hampshire, and Sheila Patten-O’Leary of Boston, Massachusetts; six grandchildren, Robert Cray, Rachael Phelps, Jarrod Stevens, Shane Stevens, Jenna Box Sarkissian, and Mason Box; 15 great-grandchildren; and many nephews and nieces.

A service for Madolyn was held Monday, December 12, 2022, at Good Shepherd Memorial Gardens, 5050 SW 20th St., in Ocala, Florida.

LAWRENCE I. FINLEY

WINDSOR – Lawrence I. Finley, 62, passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, December 11, 2022.

Larry was a self employed farmer and co-owner of Windsor Vault Company for 40 years. He was a friend to all who knew him. He loved to ride around and visit friends. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle and mostly spending time with his grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his parents Frank and Joanne Finley; son Travis Finley; and grandson Liam Finley.

He is survived by his significant other Holly Lasselle; son Justin Finley and wife Jessica; brothers Dan Finley (Karen) and John Finley (Julie), sister Sally Gower (Bud); grandchildren, Kaden, Lukas, Lilianna and Leah Finley.

A graveside service was held on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at the Finley Family cemetery, on the Choate Road, in Windsor.

GAIL I. WASHBURN

CLINTON – Gail Iris (Steeves) Washburn, 75, of Clinton, passed away at home following a long illness with Parkinson’s and Dementia. She was born in Waterville on June 20, 1947, to Willard and June Steeves.

She graduated from Clinton High School and then went on to receive a degree in history and English from Bob Jones University, in Greenville, South Carolina. After college she became a teacher and taught in Boothbay Harbor.

She left teaching to take on a few part time jobs including delivering mail for the post office as well as working at McDonald’s. She ended her career by retiring from the post office after many years of service as a full time carrier in Oakland.

Gail was a funny, lively and intelligent person with a love of adventure, whether that was learning a new skill or craft or taking road trips with family for picnics in old forgotten graveyards or to “just get lost”.

She loved reading and studying. She mapped out her family’s genealogy meticulously by visiting graveyards and town halls across the region. She loved riding to Lobster Lane Book Store to see if she could find her favorite authors.

She had a great passion for children and shared her excitement for life with them through books as well as her love of horses. She spent many years working with children and horses at Camp Fairhaven, in Brooks, where she was able to minister to them through counseling and horseback riding. She was an active member of Clinton Baptist Church where over the years she taught many Sunday School classes as well as coached the volleyball team for the Christian School.

Gail’s love for children was evident in the way she doted on her nieces and loved them like they were her own children. She shared her excitement for life with them by sharing her love of books, movies, horses, and late night swimming adventures in the summer. She was sometimes strict and firm, but she also had a very tender and sensitive side.

Gail is survived by her husband of 31 years, Scott Washburn; son, Joshua Washburn and wife Andrea and their children, Aiden and EveLynn, of Yorkville, Illinois; her daughter, Lacey Kilby and her son, Michael Kilby J.,r of Edmunds TWP; her three sisters, Dale “Tootsie” Morin and husband Steve, of Falmouth, Jill Sprague, of Lincolnville, and Anne Lowe and husband Craig, of Unity; four nieces, June “JJ”, Erin, Ina, and Morgan and their families; including many great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was predeceased by her brother, Woody Steeves; father, Willard Steeves; mother, June Kaska; and son-in-law, Michael Kilby Sr.

A celebration of life will be held at the Clinton Baptist Church, on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at 11 a.m., with visiting from 10-11 a.m., including a light lunch and gathering following the service.

To leave a message of kindness or to share a memory, please visit http://www.shoreynichols.com.

Care has been provided by Shorey-Nichols Funeral Home and Cremation Services.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Clinton Baptist Church, PO Box 1, Clinton, ME 04927.