STOCKHOLM and CARIBOU – Arthur J. Plante Jr., 74, died July 3, 2006, at the Caribou Veterans’ Home after a long illness. He was born May 28, 1932, in Hudson, Mass., the son of Arthur and Sophie (Rimkus) Plante Sr. He was a 1949 graduate of Hudson High School. From 1949 to 1951, he worked as a dairy tester for the Hampshire Herd Improvement Association in Gothic, Mass. In 1952, Arthur enlisted and began his career in the U.S. Air Force. He was honorably discharged as senior master sergeant, former bomb naval branch chief and defensive FCS maintenance supervisor from the 42nd Combat Support Group at Loring AFB in 1974, after 22 years of service. He retired to a farm in Stockholm, where he lived for the next nine years, farming and working for various companies as an electronics technician, including Potato Service, Simplot and Cianbro. He spent a short period of time living downstate before returning to Aroostook County where he permanently retired. During his tenure with the Air Force, he traveled around the country and the world and received numerous commendations and medals including the Good Conduct Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. He also completed his college GED while in the service and attended Unity College in Houlton from 1979 to 1980, where he attained a GPA of 4.0. Art loved farming and the outdoors and spent many hours hunting, fishing and camping, often with his children and grandchildren. Over the years, he took several trips every summer to his favorite camping and fishing spot at Greenland Cove at East Grand Lake. He also loved to play, and win cribbage and casino and drive his tractor and trucks on the farm. Art was also an avid reader and loved sharing facts and quoting jokes the he had read in numerous publications. During his three years at the Maine Veterans’ Home in Caribou he enjoyed taking part in activities and served as resident council president. He is survived by two sons and their wives, James and Tayna Plante of Stockholm and Dennis and Monica Plante of Wellington, Fla.; two daughters and their husbands, Mary and Duane Walton of Caribou and Patty and Jason Violette of Orrington; two stepsons and their wives, Robert and Cindy Slocum of Jarrettsville, Md. and Richard and Liliana Slocum of Eustis, Fla.; two brothers, Benjamin “Pepsi” Bennedetti of Jefferson and Michael Bennedetti of Hudson, Mass.; one sister and her husband, Donna and Carl “Earl” Erlandson of Hudson, Mass.; 13 grandchildren, Scott and Jessica Walton, Seth and Samantha Plante, Kayla Dennis, Chris Rossignol, Amelia and Isabelle Violette, Christine and Bryan Slocum, Megan and Stewart Slocum, Strider Slocum and wife, Candace; two great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews and cousins. Mr. Plante was predeceased by his parents and a sister, Bernadette. Memorial services will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 7, from the Trinity Lutheran Church, Stockholm, with the Rev. James Morgan officiating. Interment with military honors will also be held 1 p.m. Friday at the Northern Maine Veterans’ Cemetery. Friends who wish to contribute in memory of Mr. Plante may do so through the Northern Maine Veterans’ Cemetery, 37 Lombard Rd., Caribou ME 04736. Arrangements by the Mockler Funeral Home, 24 Reservoir St., Caribou.