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Mary Beresford Owens
DAMARISCOTTA - Mary B. Owens, 78, of Alna and formerly of Lakeland, Fla., died April 17, 2006 at Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta.
She was born Oct. 30, 1927 in Los Angeles, Calif. and was the only child of Lester T. and Luella E. Beresford.
She moved with her parents to New York, where they spent several years, and then moved to Michigan. She graduated from East Lansing High School and Michigan State University, and went on to teach school in Michigan in the Lakeview and Grosse Pointe school systems. She later went back to school and at the age of 50 received her master's degree from Wayne State University.
In 1950 she married John Douglas Owens, and together they loved to travel. She was an avid reader and swimmer and loved to cook. She recently moved to Maine with her daughter, after living for many years at the Sandpiper Golf and Country Club in Lakeland, Fla.
She was predeceased by her husband in 2004.
She is survived by two children, Amy Preston and her husband Mike of Alna, and James E. Owens of Florida.
A service will be held at the Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church in Michigan at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Kno-Wal-Lin, 170 Pleasant St., Rockland, ME 04841; or the hospice of one's choice.
Arrangements are with the Strong Funeral Home and Cremation Center at 612 Main St. in Damariscotta.
Charles Royce Godfrey
THOMASTON - Charles Royce Godfrey, 60, died unexpectedly on April 15, 2006 at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport.
He was born in Jacksonville, Fla. on Oct. 23, 1945 and was the son of Lavon B. and Ethel M. Holbrook Godfrey. He moved to Maine as an infant and was raised in South Thomaston where he attended local schools. He was a 1965 graduate of Rockland High School.
In the fall of 1965, he began employment with National Sea Products in Rockland. He advanced through that company and at the closing of that firm in 1990, was chief lead man. For the next several months he continued employment with National Sea Products at its Portsmouth, N.H. facility. For the past 15 years he had served as a service technician with Athearns Vending Company.
On April 10, 1983 Charlie married Donna Lee Curtis at the Congregational Church in Rockland.
Known as a jack-of-all-trades, Charlie loved repairing small engines. He would often pick up spent lawnmowers, repair them and give them away.
For many years he and his wife cared for the Butler Cemetery, not only mowing but also repairing and cleaning stones.
A very outgoing person, he always enjoyed talking with anyone he met. He also found great pleasure in caring for his home and yard. He was a man who always "told it like it was."
An accomplished cook, he enjoyed preparing dinner every night. Even when it was his wife's turn to cook, he would often doctor her recipes. His specialties included chicken fingers, which he prepared for his granddaughter Ali, and corn and fish chowders.
Having a love of nature, Charlie tapped maple trees and made his own maple syrup. He loved swimming and watching and feeding birds and enjoyed vegetable gardening. He recently took great pleasure hosting an Easter egg hunt for his granddaughter.
Other than his parents, Charlie was predeceased by his great-nephew Timothy Morse, with whom he had a special relationship, and his mother-in-law Cornelia Curtis.
He is survived by his wife Donna of Thomaston; his daughter Jamie L. Fullerton; his sons, Charles L. Godfrey of South Thomaston and James A. Godfrey of Owls Head; his brother, Samuel Godfrey and his wife Karen of South Thomaston; his granddaughter Alexandria Lee Godfrey of Rockland; his father-in-law Harvey Curtis Sr. of Rockland; his sister-in-law and her husband, Elaine and Ivan Sprague of Rockland; his brother-in-law, Harvey Curtis Jr. and his companion April Wotton of Warren; several nieces and nephews, including Holly, Heidi, Heather, Sarah, Harvey and Kelly; several great-nieces and great-nephews; and his daughter's pets, whom he loved as grandchildren, a yellow Lab, Brandon Locke, and a cat Madeline.
Family and friends are invited to visit Tuesday, April 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Burpee, Carpenter and Hutchins Funeral Home at 110 Limerock St. in Rockland, where a celebration of his life will be held Wednesday, April 19 at 2 p.m. The Rev. Wayne Sawyer will officiate. Interment will be at Butler cemetery in Thomaston.
Memorial donations may be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 87 Elm St., Suite 206, Camden, ME 04843.
Mary Barbara Nickerson
HERKIMER, N.Y. - Mrs. Mary Barbara Nickerson, 82, of Herkimer, N.Y. and formerly of Rockland, died April 17, 2006 at St. Luke's Memorial Hospital in Utica, N.Y. following a long illness.
She was born in Rockland on Feb. 4, 1924 and was the daughter of George C. and Abbie F. Niles Simmons. She attended Rockland public schools. She resided in Rockland for most of her life, moving to Canajoharie and later to Herkimer, N.Y.
Mrs. Nickerson was a devoted mother and homemaker; her children were the pride of her life. She was a very benevolent person, devoting much of her time to charity work in the Rockland area. She was a member of the Assembly of God Church in Thomaston and was a well-known biblical scholar. At the age of 4, she began a 78-year commitment to Jesus Christ and the furtherance of His Gospel. She hosted many after-school activities, including Bible clubs for children in her home. She was also an accomplished poet, having many of her works published.
On March 21, 1941 she married Lewis A. Nickerson in Rockland.
She was predeceased by her husband on Feb. 16, 1995; all of her siblings; and her grandson Joshua B. Cole on May 18, 1990.
She is survived by three daughters, Cheryl Conlan of Topsham, Gail N. and her husband the Rev. Wayne Cole of Nelliston, N.Y., and Jillaine C. and her husband Timothy Rabine of Portland; six grandchildren, Lisa Knight of Lisbon Falls, Jeremy Rabine of Laguna Hills, Calif., Abbie Rabine of Atlantic City, N.J., Matthew Rabine of Portland, and Seth and Mary Elizabeth Cole of Nelliston, N.Y.; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
A funeral service will be held Friday, April 21 at 11 a.m. at the Assembly of God Church in Thomaston, with the Rev. Wayne Cole, pastor of Grace Christian Church in St. Johnsville, N.Y., officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church, prior to the funeral. Burial will follow in the Achorn cemetery in Rockland.
Memorial donations may be made to Stem of Jesse Ministries, P.O. Box 115, Nelliston, NY 13410.
Arrangements are with the Houghtaling and Smith Funeral Home at 20 Otsego St. in Canajoharie, N.Y.
David Edwin Post
SPRUCE HEAD - David Edwin Post, 88, died April 18, 2006 at Penobscot Bay Medical Center after a brief illness.
He was born in Spruce Head on Nov. 6, 1917 and was one of five children of Maynard F. and Eva M. Rowell Post. He attended St. George schools.
On June 27, 1938 he married Shirley M. Simmons. They made their home in Spruce Head all their married lives.
In June 1960, Mr. Post and his wife were instrumental in the opening of Spruce Head Community Church. Since that time he had been an active member and served the Lord as a deacon, trustee, usher and Sunday school teacher. He was also instrumental in establishing the men's breakfast held monthly at the church. He remained faithful in that endeavor including this month, arranging speakers and cooking pancakes.
He was a World War II, U.S. Army veteran.
After a brief time at Snow's Shipyard in Rockland, he spent the remainder of his working career as a self-employed lobster fisherman.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing and music and was an avid Red Sox fan.
He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Shirley M. Post, on Feb. 14, 2005; and his son Gary M. Post on Jan. 11, 1999.
He is survived by two sons and their wives, Gilbert and Evelyn Post of Spruce Head, and Richard and Harriette Post of South Thomaston; one daughter, Janice Lowell and her husband Richard of Hope; one brother, Edgar Post and his wife Helen of Spruce Head; eight grandchildren and their spouses, Duwayne and Kathie Post, Sheri and Allan Beck, Shelia and Bob Torkington, Darren and Melissa Post, Shelley and Glenn Winchenbach, Richard and Erin Lowell, Bethany and Dallas Fields, and Jessica Lowell; 13 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be Saturday, April 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Burpee, Carpenter and Hutchins Funeral Home at 110 Limerock St. in Rockland. A graveside service will be held Sunday, April 23 at 3 p.m. at Ocean View cemetery on Spruce Head Road in South Thomaston. Pastor Mitch Ross will officiate. A reception for family and friends will follow at the Spruce Head Community Center.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Spruce Head Community Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 18, Spruce Head, ME 04859; or South Thomaston Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 147, South Thomaston, ME 04858.
Jane Day
CAMDEN - Jane Day, 82, of Camden, veteran journalist and former editor of the Camden Herald, died April 17, 2006 at the Anderson Inn at Quarry Hill.
Tall and straight, Jane was instantly recognizable by her curly steel-gray hair, the column of silver bracelets on her left arm, her ready smile and her lengthy stride as she hiked the Camden hills, often accompanied by a black dog.
She was born in Charlottesville, Va. on June 3, 1923 and was the daughter of Stanley Day and Helena Elder Day. She was raised in Anne Arundel County, Md. and held an interesting array of jobs, such as secretary in a yacht yard and driver of an ambulance in Maryland during World War II, before choosing her lifetime career of journalism, which was not just her job, but a passion.
Her journalistic passion arose from boundless curiosity and endless caring for the plight of the underdog and the state of the environment. She cared deeply about the natural world, and this passion led her to be one of the first journalists to interview Rachel Carson upon the publication of "Silent Spring" in 1962.
Jane earned an associate's degree in English from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree in American Studies at the University of Maryland. She started her journalistic career in Maryland, writing for the National Observer and an array of weeklies and dailies such as the Rockville Sentinel, and hosting a one-hour noontime radio interview show called "Day by Day with Jane Day."
She left Maryland for New York where she worked for Harper's Bazaar and other publications. Then she moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked as a political reporter for United Press and belonged to the White House Correspondents Association from 1968 through 1970.
Jane left the city in 1971 and moved with her son Mark to Maine, where her first job was staff writer with Down East Magazine. After that, she served as editor of the weekly Camden Herald from 1973 to 1978 where she won several Maine Press Association awards, some for her editorial writing. A book on Maine newspapers credited her with introducing a "breezy" open quality to the Camden Herald's pages, which included not only her fine writing, but her excellent layouts and strong use of scenic photographs.
One incident that occurred during her editorship attracted national attention. In the March 28, 1974 edition, the information under two pictures of the same size was switched, so the caption identifying the members of the board of selectmen actually ran under a group of sheep and vice versa. Although the Herald staff at the time explained the incident away as the type of inadvertent mistake that could easily happen during production, the tale of the switch created a humorous stir that traveled to newspapers throughout the country via the wire services and into at least one national news magazine.
Jane loved the water, boats and the people who built and worked on them. She often published stories in the Herald about the Camden schooners, boatbuilders, fishermen and recreational rowers, never distinguishing between a teenage cook or the owner of a fleet of schooners. In 1978, she left the Herald and went to work as managing editor of WoodenBoat magazine in Brooklin until 1980. After WoodenBoat, she wrote for National Fishermen, then worked as a freelance writer for a variety of publications including the Christian Science Monitor, Yankee, Down East, Boston, the Baltimore Sun, Maine Boats and Harbors, Soundings, Maryland Magazine, Working Waterfront, the Island Journal, the Free Press, the Maine Organic Farmer and Gardener, and many other magazines and newspapers and conservation and boating newsletters.
An activist by nature, she was a strong supporter of liberal causes and contributed time, energy and her writing skills to local Democratic political efforts over the years. She was first elected as a delegate to a Democratic state convention in Maryland in 1952. Besides being a prolific feature writer, she was also a tireless writer of letters, especially to politicians with whom she disagreed. They were never spared her informed opinion.
At age 69, the inveterate traveler threw a mattress in the back of her little pickup truck and drove from Maine to Alaska alone, covering 15,000 miles and returning with a great collection of pictures. She was a keen listener who found a story wherever she went.
A longtime board member of the Community School in Camden, she wrote a book about the school called "Changing Lives; Voices from a School that Works," which was published in 1994 by the University Press of America. Her signature appears with 117 others on the Maine Authors Quilt created by the Mildred Stevens Williams Memorial Library in Appleton as a fundraiser.
She was predeceased by her brother Stanley Day Jr.
She is survived by her son Mark "T-Bone" Abb of Camden; her sister Helena Day Myers of Minnesota and New Mexico; seven nieces and nephews, Stanley Day III, Barrett Day, John Day, Hope Jane Day, Victor Myers, John Myers and Everett Myers; and 11 grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, April 22 at 2 p.m. at her home at 89 Bay View St. in Camden.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Mid- Coast Audubon Scholarship Committee, P.O. Box 862, Rockland, ME 04841.
Arrangements are with the Laite Funeral Home at 9 Mountain St. in Camden.
Gertrude Elizabeth Sutton
THOMASTON - Gertrude Elizabeth Sutton, the wife of Emmett Lincoln Sutton, died April 12, 2006 at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport.
Gertrude was born in Chicago, Ill. and was the daughter of Albert Hartford and Gertrude Hubbard. While still young, she moved with her family to Toledo, Ohio, where she was reared. There she met and married Emmett Sutton. She was a lifelong homemaker, except for a period during World War II when she worked at the Packard Motor Car Co. as an inspector for the production of aircraft engines.
Following the war she and her husband became active in school and youth activities. President of the local PTA, she worked closely with the principal and teachers in the local school. They were also very active in the Boy Scouts, continuing a leadership role long after their children were grown.
In 1975, Gertrude and her husband moved to Thomaston. There she was an active member of the Federated Church. She lived alone for many years at her home, following the death of her husband in 1984.
She is survived by a younger sister, Edith Brodie of Monroe, Mich.; her sons, Emmett A. Sutton and his partner Shirley M. Burnell of Rockport, and John D. Sutton and his wife Kathryn of Potomac, Md.; three grandchildren, Stephanie A. Knott and her husband David J.M. Knott of London, England, Daniel E. Sutton of Boston, Mass., and Lauryn Sutton of Potomac, Md.; and two great-grandchildren, Lucy A. Knott and Henry E. Knott of London, England.
A funeral service will be held Friday, April 21 at 2 p.m. at the Federated Church in Thomaston.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may made to the memorial fund of the Thomaston Federated Church, 8 Hyler St., Thomaston, ME 04861.
Arrangements are with the Laite Funeral Home at 9 Mountain St. in Camden.
Grace N. Rokes
CAMDEN - Grace Nellie Rokes, 89, died April 14, 2006 at the Knox Center for Long-Term Care in Rockland.
She was born in East Union on June 9, 1916 and was the daughter of John and Jessie (Young) Goff. She married Horace B. Rokes.
Mrs. Rokes was employed with Van Baalen Corporation in Rockland for more than 25 years. She also was a member of the Hope Grange No. 299, Georges River Grange No. 118, Owls Head Extension and Camden Senior Citizens, a lifetime member of the Eastern Star Ocean View Chapter 201, and a volunteer for the Camden-Rockport Animal Rescue League.
She loved animals, her birds, gardening, crocheting and her home on the farm. Her family said she was known as "Mom" or "Grammy" to everyone who knew her. She loved her family and her many friends, especially her close friend Joan Carol Baker of Hope.
She was predeceased by her son Frederick R. Young on Oct. 9, 1995; two sisters, Carolyn David and Eunice Collins; and her brother Elmer Goff of Union.
She is survived by her husband, Horace B. Rokes of Camden; three daughters, Ruth Ross of Owls Head, Donna Morine and her husband Philip of Union, and Cynthia Menard and her husband Alfred of Livermore, Calif.; a stepdaughter, Laurel Williams and her husband Owen of Salem, N.H.; a stepson, Thomas Rokes and his wife Monica of Camden; three brothers, Donald Pushaw and his wife Laura of South Hope, John Goff and his wife Lois of Cranston, R.I., and Irving Goff and his wife Bernice of Warwick, R.I.; 12 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson; and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
A memorial service will be announced.
Memorial donations may be made to the Camden-Rockport Animal Rescue League, P.O. Box 707, Rockport, ME 04856.
Arrangements are with the Laite Funeral Home at 9 Mountain St. in Camden.
