INZA HELEN (DAVIS) WHEATON

EAST MILLINOCKET and ENFIELD – Inza Helen (Davis) Wheaton, 90, of East Millinocket, died Sept. 25, 2008, at a Millinocket hospital after a brief illness. Inza was born Dec. 20, 1917, in Hersey Township, the daughter of Lowell and Ola (Grant) Davis. She was educated in Patten, East Millinocket and Medway schools. She attended Lincoln Center Baptist Church and Enfield Baptist Church. Inza was a career homemaker whose focus in life was her family, as well as doing the books for her husband’s garage. She followed her husband, George Wheaton, from the mills in East Millinocket to a shipyard in Massachusetts, then back to Maine. They raised their four children and at least one grandchild on their farm, perched on the side of a hill in Enfield. Inza loved nature. She grew a vegetable garden, flowers and a variety of flowering and fruit-bearing shrubs and trees. She cooked on her beloved wood cook stove, including baking bread and beans in the oven every Saturday. Her cookie jar always had homemade molasses cookies in it. She loved to try eating and cooking different kinds of food. Inza enjoyed the various farm animals, especially the sheep and cows, and even after everything else was gone, continued to keep chickens until she had to move to senior citizen housing when she was in her 80s. She was especially fond of her Bantam hens that laid blue eggs. Inza always had a cat or two, and most of the time, a dog. She had a particular interest in wild birds and loved to watch the ones that came to her feeders and nested in areas around the yard. Not only did she enjoy growing things, but she also worked hard in the summer and fall to preserve the bounty she had grown. She found satisfaction in knowing the rows of canned vegetables, pickles and preserves lining shelves in the cellar would feed her family over the long winter. Inza loved children, and doted on her own and then her grandchildren. In addition to gardening and her other pastimes, she also enjoyed reading, especially stories about pioneers and people who had interesting experiences living in the woods or on farms; or stories about families. For many years, she knitted mittens, socks, slippers and many beautiful sweaters, and pursued various crafts and sewing. She moved to senior citizen housing in East Millinocket in 2002 after the death of her husband of 66 years. A little more than a year ago, she relocated to Sweet Seniors assisted living facility in East Millinocket. Inza is survived by one sister, Viola “Bunny” Cram of Medway; three sons, Gary and his wife, Gloria Wheaton, of Otis, G. David and his wife, Olive Wheaton, of Presque Isle, and James Wheaton of Lincoln; 10 grandchildren, Julie and her husband, James Harris, of Hermon, Lowell and his wife, Susan Wheaton, of Old Town, Angela Wheaton of Pownal, Keith and his wife, Kathy Wheaton, of Stanfield, N.C., Kevin Wheaton and his companion, Lynn Hutchinson, of Milford, Kaylee Wheaton and her companion, Robert Scott, of Cherryfield, David and his wife, Susan Wheaton, of Windham, Sarah Wheaton of Hyannis, Mass., Christopher and his wife, Stephanie Wheaton, of Orono and Kortnie Wheaton of Lincoln; six great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to her husband, Inza was predeceased by a daughter, Myrna (Wheaton) Murchison in 1976; a grandson, John Murchison in 1970; brothers, Lowell Davis Jr., Wayne Davis and Keith Davis; and sisters, Justine Cram, Rita Robinson and Clara Davis. After cremation by Direct Cremation of Belfast, Inza will be buried in a graveside memorial service 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at Grindstone Cemetery, Grindstone Road, Medway. Memorial donations may be made to Sweet Seniors’ Activity Fund, 30 Pine St., East Millinocket, ME 04430.