ORLAND – Merle E. Saunders, 78, died July 26, 2006, at his home. He was born Sept. 19, 1927, in Orland, one of 10 children to Harvey H. and Bertella E. (Ware) Saunders. His siblings were Virginia, Annette, Lena, Hilda, Emma, Clara, Paul, Leroy, and Hudson. Merle retired from Champion Paper Co., Bucksport, in 1989 after 43 years of service and was a member of the Orland Volunteer Fire Department. He enjoyed the outdoors, farming, his John Deere tractors, and his wife’s cooking. He is survived by four sons and their wives, Kenneth and Annette, Everett and Nannette, Michael and Carol, Jeffrey and Nancy; grandchildren, Phillip, Peter, Chad, Travis, Wendy and husband, Jason and Jennifer; great-grandchildren, Alex, Joshua, Matt and Nick. He was predeceased by his wife of nearly 48 years, Inez (Gowen) Saunders in 1998. Visitation for family and friends will be 6-8 p.m. Monday, July 31, at the Mitchell-Tweedie Funeral Home, 28 Elm St., Bucksport, where a funeral service will be held 2 p.m. Tuesday with Pastor Peter Remick officiating. Interment will be in Oak Grove Cemetery, Orland. Donations in his memory may be made to the Orland Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 67, Orland, ME 04472.
MERLE E. SAUNDERS
