Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Immigrants

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Waterville City Hall, upper left.

by Mary Grow

Middle Easterners, Waterville, & Irish, Augusta

The French-Canadians and the Irish were not the only groups coming to the central Kennebec Valley from other countries. Stephen Plocher wrote in his Waterville history (found on line) that in the 1860s, people he called “Syrian-Lebanese” from Syria (Lebanon and Syria were French mandates until 1943, when they became two separate countries) began arriving.

Their main settlement, shared with French-Canadian immigrants, was in the area called Head of Falls, on the west bank of the Kennebec between the railroad track and the river, east of City Hall. Former Maine Senator George Mitchell, whose mother was Lebanese by birth and father Lebanese by adoption, grew up in Head of Falls.

He wrote in his book The Negotiator (see Box 2) that the area was only about two acres, bounded by the railroad, the river and the Wyandotte Worsted Textile Mill where many residents worked. The land was crowded with apartment buildings and small houses, and the buildings were crowded with people.

Mitchell wrote that one group of houses was on the bank of the Kennebec. Another group was above them at the top of a short steep hill. In winter, the gravel path between them became a sledding run for Head of Falls children (where Mitchell suffered a broken leg in an accident the winter he was five years old).

Head of Falls was first home to French-Canadians. Plocher said the earliest Middle Eastern immigrants worked as “peddlers,” but they soon found jobs with the railroad and, as manufacturing expanded, in Waterville’s numerous, mostly water-powered, mills.

The Syrians were Maronite Catholics, and joined the Franco-American church. Mitchell explained that the Maronites are named to honor a fifth-century hermit priest in what is now Lebanon; they have been part of the Roman Catholic Church since the 16th century.

Reuben Wesley Dunn’s chapter on manufacturing in Whittemore’s Waterville history listed some of the employment opportunities in the last half of the 19th century.

The Waterville Iron Manufacturing Company started in the 1840s on Silver Street. After an August 1895 fire, the company, by then Waterville Iron Works, reopened farther north, on the Kennebec north of Temple Street.

The first cotton mill, according to Dunn, was the Lockwood Company’s, planned and built over several years and producing its first cloth in February 1876. Its immediate success led to opening a second, larger mill early in 1882. When Whittemore and his colleagues wrote their history in 1902, the Lockwood mills had about 1,300 employees and an annal payroll of about $415,000.

The Hathaway Shirt Factory was started in 1849. By 1902, according to Dunn, it employed between 150 and 175 people to run 100 sewing machines, with an annual payroll around $60,000.

The company first named Riverview Worsted Mills, soon to become Wyandotte Worsted, was organized in 1899 and began operations in February 1900 in a mill a bit north of Temple Street. Its product, Dunn wrote, was “fine fancy worsteds for men’s wear.” In 1902 the company had 80 looms “of the latest and most approved pattern”; it was moving toward 300 employees and a $150,000 annual payroll.

Hollingsworth & Whitney Paper Mill

The large Hollingsworth and Whitney mill (later the Scott Paper mill), in Winslow, opened in 1892, also needed workers. Dunn wrote that the facility started with a groundwood mill and a paper mill, and added a sulphite mill in 1899. (Groundwood is, as the name says, ground-up wood, or wood pulp, used to make paper. Sulphite is one of several additions that can make paper whiter, stronger or otherwise more useful for specific purposes.)

By 1902, Dunn said, the mill employed 675 men and the payroll was about $360,000 a year.

Dunn included the Winslow mill in a history of Waterville because, he wrote, it “contributes in so high a degree to the prosperity of our city.” To make this contribution possible, the footbridge known as the Two Cent Bridge was built in 1901, to let Waterville residents, especially those living in Head of Falls, “commute” to work in Winslow. (See Box 1)

Lebanese immigration continued in the 20th century, Plocher wrote, as more people joined friends and relatives and found jobs. Enough more Maronite Catholics arrived to organize their own church. The first Maronite priest began conducting services in Arabic in 1924; St. Joseph’s Maronite Catholic Church at the intersection of Appleton and Front streets was built in 1951.

Waterville’s urban renewal in the early 1960s eliminated the Head of Falls settlement, which by then, Mitchell said, most people would have labeled a slum. The Wyandotte Woolen Mill moved to West River Road and the housing was demolished.

Edwards Dam, on Kennebec River

In 2016 former Colby College Dean Earl Smith wrote a novel titled Head of Falls about a teen-age Lebanese girl growing up in Head of Falls in the 1950s. In the Central Maine Morning Sentinel for Nov. 13, 2016, he told reporter and columnist Amy Calder that he wrote the novel “to pay tribute to the Lebanese people and to provide a testament to their lives.”

He continued, describing the area in the 1950s: “It has always fascinated me that in this community everyone got along well. They were Arabic and there were Jews and French and Irish — they all had their separate neighborhoods. It’s sort of nice to be a community where we don’t have these kinds of tensions at all. That’s what Waterville was like.”

Russian and Polish Jews also came to Waterville, Plocher added, leading to the organization of Beth Israel Congregation in 1902. Services were first held “in the north end fire station,” he wrote; the first synagogue opened in 1905. The current Upper Main Street building dates from 1957, according to the website.

Augusta was the other major manufacturing hub in the central Kennebec Valley. According to Augusta’s Museum in the Streets, immigrant workers were French-Canadians and Irish; Middle Easterners are not mentioned. (See the related article in the May 12 issue of The Town Line.)

The Museum in the Streets says the “hard and dangerous” work of building the first dam across the Kennebec in 1834 and 1835 was done by French-Canadian and Irish workers. James North agreed in his 1870 Augusta history. Of the Irish, he wrote that many worked on the dam; others “made themselves useful in the various improvements going on about town.”

The Museum quotes Nathaniel Hawthorne’s description of the workers’ houses, when he visited Augusta in 1837 with Bowdoin College classmate Horatio Bridge. He called them “subterranean” in appearance, with sod roofs and turf walls.

To accommodate the Irish population, Augusta’s first Catholic services were held in 1836 in the former Unitarian church building on the east side of the Kennebec. In 1845, Thomas B. Lynch wrote in Kingsbury’s history, a new Catholic church was built on State Street; it was dedicated September 8, 1846.

North cited a census taken in Augusta in 1836 (not the federal decennial census, and he did not explain it) that showed a population of 6,069, including 54 Blacks and 407 “Foreigners not naturalized.”

In 1845, North wrote, Augusta began a fast industrial expansion mostly based on the water power the dam supplied. A large cotton factory was started in 1845 and went into operation in November 1846. Six sawmills and “a large and expensive flour mill” began operations around the same time, and other factories followed.

The owners of the cotton factory built workers’ boarding houses and sold by auction 50 50-by-100-foot house lots on about 5.5 acres “on the table land above the factory.”

Another employment opportunity arose when the railroad was extended to Augusta, with the first locomotive arriving Monday, Dec. 15, 1851. North wrote that it came during a snowstorm and during a session of the Supreme Court, which had to be suspended because the “exultant and joyous” train whistle drowned out the proceedings.

Museum in the Streets says the various factories had 600 employees by 1858. The cotton mill alone employed 229 women and 61 men in 1860.

North described the by-then-City of Augusta as continuing to thrive until his book was published in 1870, despite dam washouts, fires, economic changes and a civil war. In contrast to Dunn and Plocher, he focused on the entrepreneurs, the financiers, the occasional political issues related to development and the building and rebuilding, and said nothing about the thousands of people who worked in the various mills and factories.

Ticonic Footbridge

The pedestrian bridge across the Kennebec River linking Waterville and Winslow was officially named the Ticonic Footbridge when it was built in 1901 for the Ticonic Foot Bridge Company, Wikipedia says.

The original bridge was carried away by a Dec. 15, 1901, flood. By 1903 it had been replaced.

When the bridge first opened, the fee to cross the river was one cent, collected at a tollbooth on the Waterville end. An on-line description of the bridge’s historic marker says the charge was doubled to pay for the 1903 rebuilding, and the bridge became known as the Two Cent Bridge or the Two Penny Bridge.

George Mitchell, whose family lived close to the bridge for the first few years of his life, wrote that children from Head of Falls became adept at sneaking past the toll collector for a free walk to Winslow. Early in the 1960s the Ticonic Foot Bridge Company gave the bridge to Waterville and city officials made it free for everyone.

The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The marker calls it “the longest [at 576 feet] and oldest wire suspension footbridge in America.

Selected contemporary sources

1) In the May 20, 2022, edition of the Central Maine newspapers, Amy Calder wrote about two Colby College seniors whose documentary about life in Waterville’s South End premiered at Railroad Square Cinema May 17. Her piece is titled Opening a door to Waterville’s South End.

The documentary by Charlie Jodka and Quinn Burke, available on Youtube, features interviews with people who grew up in The Plains.

George Mitchell

2) George Mitchell described The Negotiator as stories about his life, not a formal biography, and the description is accurate. Your writer recommends the book to readers interested in Maine, in government and politics or in this unusual man. (Former Senator Mitchell was profiled earlier in this series, in the July 23, 2020, issue of The Town Line.)

3) As your writer picked up a copy of Mitchell’s book at the South China Public Library, volunteer librarian Dale Kilian offered a small paperback titled War in the South Pacific A Soldier’s Journal (copyright 1995). The author was Thomas J. Maroon (1914-2002), a local man of Lebanese heritage who enlisted in the Maine National Guard in 1940 and fought in the Pacific theater for more than three years in World War II. Based on the informal diary he kept, it should appeal to students of military history; area residents will find many familiar names.

Main sources

Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).
Mitchell, George J., The Negotiator (2015).
North, James W., The History of Augusta (1870).
Plocher, Stephen, Colby College Class of 2007, A Short History of Waterville, Maine Found on the web at Waterville-maine.gov.
Whittemore, Rev. Edwin Carey, Centennial History of Waterville 1802-1902 (1902).

Websites, miscellaneous.

CRITTER CHATTER: Vicious vermin or rodent regulator?

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The different coats of the winter and summer ermine.

by Jayne Winters

You never know what you’ll find in Don Cote’s living room at the Duck Pond Wildlife Rehab Center, in Vassalboro. When I visited him a few weeks ago to decide on a topic for this month’s article, as soon as I walked in, I knew what it would be: weasels. I’ve never seen one in the wild and feel fortunate to have arrived at Duck Pond the same day Don had one that had been captured locally.

My first question to Don was if “weasel” and “ermine” were the same critter, and he confirmed they are. I think many of us associate “ermine” with the fashion industry and I suppose that does sound more appealing than a “weasel coat.” The body fur changes (molts) from tan with white belly in the summer to white in the winter to provide camouflage during the change of seasons; it sports a black-tipped tail year ‘round. The molts are controlled by hormones that respond to the hours of daylight.

Weasels are not only found in North America, but also Europe, Asia, South America and even parts of Africa and the Arctic. They are part of the Mustelidae family, which includes skunks, mink, otters, ferrets, badgers, fishers, martens, and wolverines. Their common feature is the presence of anal scent glands which produce an easily recognized and smelly liquid used for marking their territory and for self-defense when the animals feel threatened.

The two most common types of weasels in Maine are the long-tailed, which can grow to 11-22 inches long with a tail of 3-7 inches, and the short-tailed, which is typically 7-14 inches long with a tail of 2-4 inches. The jury is still out on whether we also have a population of the least weasel, which, as the name suggests, is the smallest, 7-9 inches, including tail which does not have the black tip.

Weasels are slender animals, with stubby legs and short, round ears, only weighing three to eight ounces as adults. They are relatively shy and mostly nocturnal, although they will forage during the day. Their diet mainly consists of mice, voles, shrews, rats, frogs, and insects, but they are also known to kill squirrels, small rabbits, worms, snakes, birds and eggs. A weasel will eat up to two-thirds of its body weight every day due to its a high metabolism (heart rates can exceed 400 beats a minute) and minimal body fat.

They live in underground burrows, often around stone walls, brush piles and old foundations for denning. Weasels are solitary except during mating season and when raising young; they are not monogamous and females care for the pups alone. The female weasel, called a “jill”, will have a litter of four to ten pups in April or May after a nine-month gestation period. After nursing for a few weeks, the pups are fully independent by autumn. Their life span is only four to five years; despite their ability to reach speeds up to eight miles an hour, jump to heights of six feet, and put up a good fight with their sharp teeth, they fall prey to raptors, fox and larger mammals, as well as domestic dogs and cats. In addition, weasels are subject to Maine’s two-month trapping season.

And the weasel at Duck Pond? Don stated he usually gets only one or two a year to rehab and this one had been caught accidentally by a homeowner who was trying to trap squirrels. Upon examination, Don noticed one of its eyes looked infected, so after three days of treatment (always a two-person job!), it was released back into the wild.

Don continues to keep admissions and long-term residents at a limited number by transferring many rescued critters to other rehabbers who have generously offered to assist in their care. Please check these websites to see if there is a rehabber closer to you to help keep critter care at Duck Pond more manageable: https://www.mainevetmed.org/wildlife-rehabilitation or https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/orphaned-injured-wildlife/index.html.

Donald Cote operates Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center on Rte. 3 in Vassalboro. It is a non-profit state permitted rehab facility supported by his own resources & outside donations. Mailing address: 1787 North Belfast Ave., Vassalboro ME 04989 TEL: (207) 445-4326. PLEASE NOTE THE PRIOR wildlifecarecenter EMAIL ADDRESS IS NOT BEING MONITORED AT THIS TIME.

VETERANS CORNER: Remembering the fallen on Memorial Day

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by Gary Kennedy

The last Monday in May is strategically placed as to generate the name Memorial Day weekend. As you can see placing this holiday in this position allows for a long weekend for most of us. Schools, federal and state agencies as well as others will be closed. It is considered a federal holiday. Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer. We still consider June 21 official first day of summer. (Season)

Memorial Day was originally referred to as Decoration Day. This being a time for paying our respects to those who died in battle defending the United States of America. President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, New York, as birthplace of this holiday. Waterloo held an event on May 5, thus celebrating the fallen. However, in 1865, a couple of weeks before the end of the Civil War, freed slaves in Charleston, South Carolina, held a ceremony giving Union soldiers a proper burial.

The first Decoration Day was observed on May 30, 1868, proclaimed by General John A. Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. Flowers were placed on both the Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery, in Washington, DC, with President James Garfield as the guest speaker. In 1868 until this present date approximately 5,000 people gather at Arlington National Cemetery. Flowers were placed on all graves. In 1890 it was recognized by the North and South to pay respect on the same date. This was due to World War I and those fighting in any war. The date of the holiday, if we can refer to it as such, was changed from May 30 to the last Monday of the month of May, thus creating the long weekend.

Since 1950, 1,200 soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry place small flags at each of the more than 260,000 graves at Arlington. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to insure that no flag has fallen. Red poppies are also often placed on the crosses. As I stated last year, the idea poppies was derived from the poem in 1915 by John McCrae, titled In Flanders Field. The poppy is famous from the battles in Belgium and France and is celebrated by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Other key remembrances are the candles that are placed by the Boy and Girl Scouts on the 15,300 grave sites of buried soldiers at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Parks. Also, it is requested that all governors of the United States direct the flag to be flown at half staff until noon on Memorial Day on all buildings both foreign and domestic.

Remember there is a difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial is intended to commemorate those who died for country whereas Veterans Day honors all who have served their country. This is just a little information on a very important holiday. We realize for most of you this is the wonderful long weekend. Just remember the veterans didn’t die to create a holiday. They died because they love God, Country, family and freedom. They were all aware that service to their country could be a one way ticket. And for hundreds of thousands it was just that. So love and enjoy your family, friends and God but take a few minutes to give thanks to the men and woman who made it all possible.

Also, say a special prayer for those brave men and women who are now standing up to the tyrannical hand of those merciless killing the innocence of the Democratic Christian country of Ukraine. My heart and the hearts of many other veterans go out to them as we watch their country and people being destroyed. A braver country cannot be found anywhere. Many people are new to our country so they are perhaps not as passionate about the faith of others but they obviously know what it means to be free or they wouldn’t have come here.

I say a special prayer for the Americans that have left on their own free will to fight along side the Ukraine people. I wish I was young again. May God be with you during this sad holiday. Teach your children well as they are our future and I hope they take it on with a pure, loving and compassionate heart. God bless you and those you have lost. Stay safe my friends.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Substantial moose mortality in northern Maine blamed on ticks

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Female winter tick

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Recent news reports have indicated a high rate of deaths among young moose in northern Maine. Lee Kantar, the moose biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), said the winter ticks are to blame. The ticks, also called moose ticks, are a worsening problem in the areas of the northern U.S. and southern Canada that moose call home. Infestations of ticks contributed

to a record high death rate for young moose tracked by wildlife managers in rural Maine.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife placed collars on 70 moose calves in remote parts of the state last winter and 60 of them had died by the beginning of May, Maine Public reported. The 86 percent mortality rate was the highest since the agency started the tracking survey.

Kantar confirmed the majority of overwinter mortality occurs in calves prior to their first birthday in May.

“We have been assessing cause specific mortality of adult cow and calf moose for 9 years with GPS collared animals,” Kantar said. “Winter tick is the primary driver/cause of mortality for calves. The winter tick is a unique species of tick that has a different life cycle than the common ticks known to most people (e.g., deer and dog ticks).”

He continued by saying unlike other ticks that have a multi-year life cycle that involves getting on and removing blood from three different hosts, winter ticks spend their entire life cycle (larva, nymph and adult) on one host (typically moose) and take blood meals off the moose at each stage.

“Adult female winter ticks, in order to produce eggs, take a minimum of one milliliter of blood from the moose,” Kantar explained. “The winter ticks get on the moose in the fall and stay on them until May where they drop off then the females lay eggs and die. A moose can harbor 30,000-90,000 ticks ” According to Kantar, “the amount of blood removed by these ticks causes blood loss, weight loss, restlessness, lethargy, hair loss, secondary bacterial infections and anemia. In cases like this spring, high infestation rates on moose can lead to death in young animals and depress female reproductive rates.”

Researchers have studied the dynamic of winter tick and moose for decades. “Typically losses like we saw this spring occur once over the course of many years,” Kantar continued. “However, in the northeast due to shifts in climate and past moose densities we have experienced multiple years of moderate-high juvenile losses. Moose are wild, free-ranging animals. There is no veterinary labelled, approved treatments for moose.” Moose range over 10-12 square miles. Maine is home to tens of thousands of moose.

“Solutions to ticks must address this large scale problem in a way that does not harm the environment and other wildlife,” Kantar said. “Therefore we are limited in options to treat moose and winter tick. Reducing the density of moose is believed to be one of the only possibilities to determine if winter tick numbers can be reduced. MDIFW is conducting further research on reducing moose numbers in one half of one Wildlife Management District over the next five years to measure moose population parameters (density, composition, mortality and reproduction) as well as winter tick numbers to determine impacts of the program.”

The reported numbers for this spring represent only one Wildlife Management District (WMD 4) and represents only GPS collared calves that had these GPS radio collars placed on them this past January.

“It is highly likely that this mortality rate is representative of the entire management unit, but caution must be used to assume that these numbers are consistent throughout the entire moose range in Maine,” Kantar explained.

“While reducing moose density is counterintuitive to people, the science behind the relationship of disease/parasites and animal density is deeply rooted and widely studied,” Kantar added. Kantar went on to say, with 90 percent of Mainers approving of moose hunting, biologically and otherwise population reduction at this level to determine feasibility is a prudent and important step in combating winter ticks. Longer summer/fall temperatures and weather and subsequently shorter winters allow winter ticks to have more days to get on moose in the fall. Each day the weather remains mild, ticks are getting on moose so the number of ticks continues to grow until weather shuts down the ticks looking for a host. This is why winter tick numbers can increase to the point on a moose that they become lethal. Combating the weather is out of our hands. Maine moose country is predominately private land – there are limitations in scope, scale, resources and practicality in how to best fight ticks.

“Our website has additional information on this,” Kantar concluded.

According to the University of Maine Extension Service, winter ticks are most commonly encountered in fall and winter. Their preferred hosts are moose and other ungulates, including deer, elk, and caribou, and occasionally horses and cattle. Though they can be found anywhere on a host, they seem to prefer the ears, belly, anal region, and under the legs. Incidental hosts include dogs, beavers, black bears, and coyotes. Winter ticks rarely bite and feed on humans.

Although winter ticks are not a threat to human health, they can pose a significant threat to wildlife, moose in particular. Deer and other ungulates seem to easily remove the ticks during grooming. Moose, however, are not as successful at tick grooming and can become host to over 100,000 winter ticks. Heavy infestations on an individual can result in severe anemia, skin irritation, hair loss, and distraction from feeding. The total effect from heavy infestations can ultimately result in death of the individual.

Ticks hide in the leaf litter present in the wooded or brushy areas they tend to populate. When snow falls, it only serves to insulate the dormant ticks, which are protected by the layer of debris. Or, in the case of soft-shell ticks, they survive by staying underground in burrows or dens.

In 2019, the Maine Center for Disease Control confirmed 1,629 cases of Lyme disease in Mainer.

The winter tick has a large geographic distribution in North America. They can be found coast to coast through much of Canada and the United States ranging from the Yukon Territory in the north to along the Mexican border in the south. They can be found in a wide variety of habitats, but are strongly associated with the presence of moose. Winter ticks are found in forested areas throughout the state of Maine, particularly in central and northern counties.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What is the diameter of a basketball hoop in inches?

Answer can be found here.

Area residents named to University of New England dean’s list

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The following students have been named to the dean’s list for the 2021 fall semester at the University of New England, in Biddeford. Dean’s list students have attained a grade point average of 3.3 or better out of a possible 4.0 at the end of the semester.

Olivia McPherson, of Albion; Valerie Capeless, Zinaida Gregor, Jessica Guerrette, Brooklynn Merrill and Julia White, all of Augusta; Sidney Knox, of Benton; Alden Balboni, Kierra Bumford and Tyler Pellerin, all of Oakland: Sarah Kohl and Olivia Roy, both of Sidney; Julia Steeves and Dawson Turcotte, both of Skowhegan; Lauren Boatright, Noelle Cote and Richard Winn, all of South China; Libby Breznyak and Lauren Pinnette, both of Waterville; and Juliann Lapierre and Justice Picard, both of Winslow.

OBITUARIES for Thursday, May 26, 2022

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PATRICIA MacDONALD

WATERVILLE – Patricia (Harlow) MacDonald, 85, passed away Friday, April 29, 2022. She was the daughter of Phillip and Alma Harlow.

She met Richard, her husband of 62-years, while attending Springfield College, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Patricia and Richard had three children, Rick, Barb and Doug, who were raised in Maryland and Waterville. They enjoyed living in many places such as Maryland, North Palm Beach, Florida, Dover Foxcroft and the mid-coast of Maine.

She is survived by her husband; children; and grandchildren, Caroline, Molly, Otto and Declan.

Obituary and information on a Zoom memorial, scheduled for June 9 can be found at http://www.directcremationofmaine.com.

MARJORIE A. CROWELL

FAIRFIELD – Marjorie Ann Crowell, 60. also know as MAC, Auntie Mac and Hazel, passed away on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, following a long battle with cancer. She was born in Waterville on August 3, 1961, the daughter of Arthur and Velma (Cloukia) Crowell.

She was educated in the Winslow/Waterville public schools. She had a deep love for music, planting flowers and hummingbirds.

She was predeceased by her parents; siblings Carolyn Boudreau, Richard and Jody Lynn Crowell.

She is survived by her brothers Paul, David and Daniel Crowell; sisters Gail Swain, Cynthia Veilleux, Paula Homer; brothers-in-law, Wayne Boudreau, Daryl Swain, and Stephen Homer; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews.

Burial will take place on Saturday, June 4, 2022, at 1p.m., at McClintock Cemetery, Nowell Road, Winslow.

RAY O’KEEFE

NAPLES – Ray O’Keefe, 75, a longtime resident of Naples, Florida, passed away on Sunday, May 8, 2022. Ray was born in Fort Kent, the son of Alice and Ray O’Keefe.

He graduated from Winslow High School and later received his BA at the University of Maine, followed by a master’s degree from the University of Southern California. Ray served his country with a 26-year career in the U.S. Army. He was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, Ft. Riley, Kansas, and Ft. Benning, Georgia. Ray also was posted overseas in Vietnam, Korea, and Germany. Ray’s last 10 years of duty were spent in the Pentagon. His commitment to serve his country saw him hold many significant positions, Troop Com­mander, Squadron Commander and Congres­sional Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Army. Ray was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit Medal and the Bronze Star.

Ray worked hard and played golf with equal passion. He honored his fellow veterans by creating two Veterans Day Golf Tournaments to honor them at Quail Run and Royal Palm Golf Clubs.

Ray is survived by his wife of 51 years, Nancy; and his siblings, Pat, Michael and Bridget.

A funeral Mass was held on May 18 at St. Williams Catholic Church in Naples, Florida. There will also be a funeral Mass at St. John Church, 26 Monument St., in Winslow, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21, followed by the burial at noon at the new section of the Veterans Cemetery, in Augusta.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in Ray’s memory may be made to Alzheimer’s Support Network, 1421 Pine Ridge Rd., Suite 100, Naples, FL 34109.

CLAUDETTE M. BELANGER

WATERVILLE – Claudette Marie Belanger, 90, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 9, 2022, at the Lakewood Nursing home, in Waterville. She was born on September 1, 1931, in Waterville, the 10th child of Edward Carey and Esther Hachey Carey.

Claudette was a strong women. She was also a loving soul, and a caring and giving person.

While her children were young, Claudette began her long career as a waitress, often working both the lunch and the dinner shifts, first at the Silent Woman Restaurant, and then many years at John Martin’s Manor, both in Waterville. She was well regarded as a superb server and incredible worker, and was known for her friendly and respectful attitude. She worked full time as a server until she was 68 years old.

After her retirement, she kept busy doing what she loved, helping her family. She was either baking bread to share, buying clothes at garage sales for her family, crocheting blankets for everybody, or spending time with her grandchildren. She was a positive inspiration and excellent role model for her family and was proud of herself and her accomplishments. She didn’t slow down as she aged. Her daily routine included walking three miles every morning, and then swimming for one hour every afternoon.

At the age of 78, Claudette suffered a life changing stroke that left her paralyzed on one side, blinded in one eye, and unable to read or speak the words that she wanted to say. She fought hard and recovered from her paralysis, improved her speech, and eventually returned to live alone again for several years. She still was busy making blankets, shopping, and spending time with family. Unfortunately, a series of health issues caused her to need more care in her final years.

Although Claudette had struggles during her life, she also had many good times. She loved the time that she had at the family camp when her kids were young. She was an avid swimmer, and had taught not only her kids to swim, but also many of her nieces and nephews. She loved to be in the water, and could easily swim a mile even into her later years. She loved to make bread, and then share it with family and friends. It was great bread! She loved to go dancing and hanging out with her friends after work! She liked going to the beach, and sitting in the sun! She loved family gatherings and just being with her sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews! In later years, she was very happy just to be with her grandkids. She would take them on almost daily little adventures to McDonalds, or to the pool for a swim, or just back to her place to make them a snack and hang out. She loved her family and they loved her very much!

Claudette was predeceased by her parents and all her siblings.

She is survived by her sons Richard and wife Debbie, Robert and wife Kathie, Bruce and partner Valerie, daughter Gail and husband Paul Moeller; grandchildren Kristen Crook and husband Paul, Danielle Towle and husband Max, Steve Hale, Benjamin Belanger and wife Stevi, Michael Belanger, Kaitlin Belanger, Lauren Belanger, Jaimie Belanger, Carey Young and husband Ryan, and Aaron Moeller. She is survived by Valerie’s children, Victoria, Brittany, Andrew, Henry, and William. She is also survived by several great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and a special niece and friend Norma Bourgoin.

A funeral service was held for Claudette on Monday, May 23, at St. John Catholic Church, in Winslow.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home, http://www.VeilleuxFuneralHome.com.

RAMONA L. BOYNTON

JEFFERSON – Ramona L. Boynton, 75, of Jefferson, passed away on Friday, May 13, 2022, at home. She was born January 24, 1947, in Gardiner, the daughter of Raymond and Geraldine (Taylor) Rankins Sr.

She attended Gardiner schools. Ramona enjoyed camping, watching the birds, family gatherings and knitting hats and mittens for the warming centers and for school children.

She worked at KVCAP in the transportation department for many years. Summers she drove the blueberry bus for Pearl Boynton. She was a food service worker at MSAD #11 and the Whitefield Elementary School.

She was predeceased by her father, Raymond Rankins Sr., her mother, Geraldine Cusson, in-laws, Pearl and Marie Boynton; brothers-in-law, Roger Boynton, Dennis Boynton and Warren Brann, sisters-in-law, Pauline Brann and Mary Boynton; a nephew, Dana Boynton.

She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Lawrence Boynton; daughters, Tamara J. Grady and partner Harold Dyer, of Pittston, Monica L. Grady and partner Steve Carter, of Waterville, Samantha S. Sullivan and partner Eric Swan, of Augusta, son, Robert E. Grady III, of Pittston; grandchildren, Ashley Dyer, Hannah Dyer, and Evan Grady, all of Pittston, Erik Botterbusch, of Farmingdale, Kassie Pratt and Amanda Pratt, both of Augusta; brothers, Raymond and Nancy Rankins Jr. and family, Michael and Valerie Rankins and family, Linwood and Bobbie Boynton and family, Robert and Deanna Boynton and family, Earland and Marion Boynton and family, Margaret Boynton and Sharon Boynton and family; and many nieces and nephews.

Per Ramona’s wishes there will be no services and burial will be at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Ramona to MaineGeneral Hospice of Maine.

DARRELL POOLER

OAKLAND – Darrell “Bruce” Pooler, 63, passed away of natural causes on Friday May 13, 2022, at his home. He was born October 5, 1958, the first born child of MaryAnn (Bard) and Irwin H. Pooler.

Bruce attended school in the Messalonskee school system, in Oakland.

Growing up he always had a passion for vehicles, and right out of high school took great pride in his personal vehicles, keeping them beautifully maintained and enjoyed showcasing them during an era that meeting on “Main Street” with fellow friends and relatives was a normal Friday night event. He made friends with many who had the same passion and those friendships have lasted a life time.

He was also a huge fan of car racing and in the 1980s followed the extended family tradition of racing at Unity Raceway. Bruce began his successful racing career with a car that he numbered 44 after his mothers age. He was greatly respected by his fans and fellow drivers.

Bruce worked various jobs until his parents opened Middle Road Redemption, in Oakland, where he worked side by side with mom and dad until they retired. He loved chatting with customers and made people feel like they were lifelong friends. He then brought his expertise to share with his brother and best friend Brian, at Trafton Road Redemption. They continued to work together for many years until the redemption was converted into a store, which recently closed. He was looking forward to his retirement and enjoying the simple things in life like playing the slots, eating out and spending time with family and friends.

Bruce would help anyone who needed it. He helped people from all walks of life and his kindness always turned into lasting relationhips.

He loved his home, his little sanctuary that he took pleasure and great pride in maintaining. After his dad’s death, he continued this same pride in helping his mother maintain her property next door and looked after her daily needs.

He was predeceased by his father Irwin H. Pooler; his grandparents; and several uncles, aunts and cousins.

Bruce is survived by his mother, MaryAnn Pooler, of Oakland; his daughter Angela Ward and her husband Jamie, of Cannan; and his son Derick Inman, his wife Amanda and their three children, of Waterville; his brother Brian Pooler and his wife Tami, of Oakland; his sister Sonya Ross and her husband Jim, of Norridgewock; and his sister Tammy Roy and her husband Jim, of Oakland; his nephews, Shaine Wilson, Jeremy Witham, Tyler Whitney, Cody Palmer, Dylan Allard, and niece Cheyenne Knights.

A celebration of life and a private graveside ceremony will be announced at a later date.

MARK G. GOULD

SIDNEY – Mark Glazier Gould, 68, passed peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at the Alfond Center for Health, in Augusta. He was born on May 17, 1953, in Augusta, to George and Lorraine “Tillie” (Glazier).

Gould is a graduate of Cony High School, in Augusta, and the University of Maine at Orono. Mark also did post-graduate work at Penn State University.

Mark was a true self-made man, always living life on his own terms. He was generous, enthusiastic, loved animals and easily made friends wherever he went. Mark owned and operated a dairy farm in Sidney for over 25 years, producing hay for his farm as well as others. Recently, he expanded his interests to auctions of all kinds and ran an auction company along with his partners. He loved a good treasure hunt and sharing his finds as a way to educate others about history. Mark often guided the young people in his life through his love of teaching. Mark gathered regularly with his neighbors and friends at the Middle Road General Store, in Sidney, to share a meal and news from around town.

Surviving family includes his brothers, David, of Jay, and Alan and his wife Elaine, of Freeport; his sister, Linda, of Redmond, Washington; nephews, Callum and Liam and niece, Catriona, of Freeport; aunts, Faith Gould, of Richmond, Arlene Gardner, of Hallowell, and Jean Glazier, of Pittston; as well as many cousins throughout Maine and beyond.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date at Plummer Funeral Home, 16 Pleasant St., Augusta. Burial will follow in Branch Mills Cemetery, China.

Condolences, stories and photos may be shared at http://www.plummerfh.com.

Donations may be made in Mark’s honor to the Fight Colorectal Cancer Organization at http://www.fightcolorectalcancer.org.

JULIETTE G. VEAR

WATERVILLE – Juliette Gilbert Vear, 94, passed away on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at Woodlands Memory Care Center, in Waterville. She was born on March 29, 1928, in Waterville, to Emile and Aline (Mar­coux) Gilbert.

Julie graduated in 1946 from Waterville High School. She married her high school sweetheart, Norman Vear, in 1948, and raised five children. She lived in Winslow most of her life. Julie worked at Scott Paper Co., in Winslow, prior to her retirement in 1989. She was a member of the Corpus Christi Parish (formerly St. John the Baptist Church, in Winslow).

After her retirement, she and Norman spent 17 winters, in Bradenton, Florida. She had many hobbies and especially enjoyed playing cards with her many friends and family. Julie was a much-loved wife, mother of five and “graggy” to her five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Julie leaves behind her husband of 74 years, Norman.

She is survived by her five children, Norma Guess (Texas), Jim Vear (Florida), Larry and wife Shelly Vear, Janet and husband Matt Bruington (Virginia), and Michael and wife Jennifer Vear; her grandchildren, Gretchen and Chris Farrar, Jessica Vear, Ericka and Charles Poppel, Chris and Aurora Vear, and Nicole and Arturo Sanchez; and great-grandchildren, Dean Beaudoin Poppell and Finnegan Jean Baptist Poppell; her brother Leo Gilbert

Julie was predeceased by her sister Lorraine Roy. and is survived by.

At her request, there will be no visiting hours. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Notre Dame Church, 116 Silver Street, in Waterville, on Tuesday, June 28, at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at the family plot in St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, Grove Street, in Waterville.

Services are under the care and direction of Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home, http://www.VeilleuxFuneralHome.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter and Services, 19 Colby St., Waterville ME 04901 or Corpus Christi Parish, 17 South Garand St., Waterville ME 04901.

JEANNINE PARE

VASSALBORO – Jeannine (Domingue) Pare, 91, has passed on Monday, May 16, 2022, following a long illness. Jeannine was born on October 31, 1930, the daughter of Evariste Domingue and Angelina Proulx.

On September 9, 1950, Jeannine married the love of her life, Alphonse Pare, and became a farmer’s wife, dedicating her life to her family and to their Vassalboro farm.

Jeannine was a communicant and Eucharistic Minister of St. Augustine Catholic Church and St. Andrew Catholic Church, in Augusta. She enjoyed being a member of St. Andrew’s Women’s Club.

Jeannine was predeceased by her husband, Alphonse Pare; parents, Evariste and Angelina Domingue; brothers, Robert Domingue and Fern Domingue, and sisters, Theresa Bedford and Lucille Smith.

Jeannine is survived by her five sons and three daughters, Albert Pare and companion Kathy Allen, of Sidney, Anita Reynolds and companion Dan Gorgone, of Windsor, Pauline Pare and wife Fauna Yarrow, of Etna, Lucille Taylor, of Waterville, Maurice Pare and wife Sarah, of Vassalboro, Joseph Pare and wife Helen, of Augusta, Roger Pare, of Vassalboro and companion Mischele Ellis, and Gerard Pare, of Waterville; 20 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday, May 23, at St. Augustine Catholic Church, 75 Northern Avenue, Augusta. Burial followed in Holy Family Cemetery, 139 Townsend Road, Augusta.

Condolences, stories and photos may be shared at http://www.plummerfh.com.

Those who desire to make donations in Jeannine’s memory may give to MaineGeneral Homecare and Hospice, Hathaway Creative Center, 10 Water St., Waterville, ME 04901.

SHIRLEY T. LADD

AUGUSTA – Shirley Theresa (Beane) Ladd, 88, of Waterville, passed away peacefully the evening of Monday, May 16, 2022. Appropriately, there was a flower moon that night. Shirley was born on September 27, 1933, to Charles and Della Beane.

She attended Waterville High School. She began her career working at the candy counter in McLellan’s Department Store, in Waterville, and in time, became the store’s manager. In 1968, she was named Manager of the Year for the Northeast Division.

In 1970, Shirley married the love of her life Maurice “Nick” Ladd and became an instant mother to his four children. Shirley and Nick always shared a deep and special bond, even when dementia began to incapacitate her in her later years. After their marriage, Nick and Shirley owned 3G’s Restaurant, in Skowhegan, and then in 1977, they purchased The Villager restaurant, in Waterville, which they ran until their retirement.

Shirley is survived by Nick Ladd, her husband of 52 years; and her four children and their spouses, Susan and Larry Jewett, of Leeds, Calla and Steve Roy, of Falmouth, Mark and Lee Anne Ladd, of Clifton Park, New York, and Megan Ladd, of Yarmouth; her sisters Joyce Graf, of Brunswick, and Dana Jacques, of Waterville; 12 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews; and cousins.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Notre Dame church in Waterville on Monday, June 6, 2022, at 10 a.m.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Veilleux and Redington Funeral Home, http://www.VeilleuxFuneralHome.com.

MICHAEL M. DAWES

FAIRFIELD – Michael Morrison Dawes, 77, passed away on Monday, May 16, 2022, at his home, in Fairfield, following a hard-fought battle with cancer. He was born on July 1, 1944, to his parents, William Leon and Elizabeth June in Bar Harbor.

Michael was a gift from God. He enriched all our lives daily with his wise words, deep love, and corny jokes. He was always most relaxed when he was by the ocean.

He was a talented self-taught artist and an admirer of lighthouses. Family was important to Michael, and he attended any event(s) that he could to support his family. He was a salesman at heart and was proud to be self-employed for the majority of his later years.

Michael was predeceased by his parents, June (Rolla) and Leon (Marion); his sisters, Edna and Paula; his parents-in-law, Russell and Phyllis Peters; other family members.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Janet; their two children, Cathe (Jon) Cochran and Bill (Jean) Dawes; five grandchildren, Jodi (Rob), Jessica (Ricky), Jordan (Ben), Corey and Logan; 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson; his sisters, Marilyee, Spring (Mark), Lauralee and Joyce (Paul); his siblings by marriage, Patti (Dennis), Rusty (Candi), Ruth (Andy) and Paul; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins.

A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, May 26, 2022, at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, 2539 Riverside Dr, Vassalboro. Remembrance will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a service at 11 a.m. A gathering to celebrate and share stories of Michael to immediately follow at his home.

Arrangements are in the care of Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, 107 Main St., Fairfield where memories may be shared, and an online register book signed by visiting http://www.lawrybrothers.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations be made in Michael’s name to the Harold Alfond Cancer Center, 361 Old Belgrade Rd. Augusta. ME 04330.

Bradstreet announces re-election bid

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Rep. Dick Bradstreet

Representative Dick Bradstreet is announcing that he is seeking re-election to the Maine House of Representatives. He has served three terms representing the people of House District #80, which includes the towns of Windsor, Somerville, the Unorganized Township of Hibberts Gore, part of Augusta and his home town of Vassalboro. Due to re-districting, the seat he is seeking is now District #61, which will include Vassalboro and most of Sidney.

Representative Bradstreet has previously served on the Judiciary Committee and for the past two terms has served as the Republican lead on the Labor & Housing Committee. He lives in Vassalboro with his wife JoAnne. They have three adult children and seven grandchildren, all of whom currently reside in Maine. Representative Bradstreet also serves on the Town of Vassalboro Budget Committee.

 

 

 

 

LETTERS: Smith will fight for Mainers

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To the editor:

Please vote for Katrina Smith for House District #62, serving China, Palermo, Somerville, Windsor and Hibberts Gore. Katrina is a voice of reason and principle that will stand up for freedom and liberty for all Mainers. She will push back against the heavy hand of governmental mandates and will fight to make sure parents have the right to direct their children’s education.

She will work to improve health care in Maine by fighting for healthcare workers. She will also fight against over taxation, and work to allow Mainers to keep more of their own paychecks, allowing people to live affordably in our great state.

Katrina will work to develop a robust pro Maine business culture. We need Katrina and many more like her in the State House fighting back against the tyranny of bigger and bigger government. Vote for Katina Smith on June 14!

Al Fereshetian
Turner

LETTERS: Russia: stop this madness, please

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To the editor:

Although I realize they probably have no effect, this is the third message sent to the Russian government since the Ukraine invasion started:

As a great-grandfather, old enough to remember the horrors of WW II, I again appeal to the sensibilities of the Russian people to stop this insanity of armed conflict in Ukraine. You’ve already shown you can destroy a country’s infrastructure and kill thousands, isn’t that enough?

What about all your young people who have died in the conflict? What about all the Russians with means who have fled your country? Is Mr. Putin not concerned about Russia’s future? Stop this madness, please. Simply withdraw your forces from Ukraine, make peace and ask the world’s forgiveness. It would do wonders for your magnificent country, your people, and the world’s impression of Russia. PLEASE!

Richard Dillenbeck
South China