EDNA WATSON

CARIBOU – Edna Watson, 68, wife of the late Gerald Watson, died unexpectedly Nov. 1, 2008, in Caribou. She was born Feb. 3, 1940, in Lewiston, the daughter of the late Patrick and Alma (Dubois) Gagnon. Edna received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Husson College and was employed by Limestone Defense Finance and Accounting Services, computer services at Loring. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. For Edna, her greatest achievement in life was her family. Mom always said that her children were God’s gift to her and she loved us all equally; each was a diamond in her eyes. Throughout time, family grew and she was blessed with 10 grandchildren. For the birth of each grandchild she stayed with her “babies” until that grandchild was born; she scolded doctors for not moving fast enough, wore out carpets from pacing, slept in chairs and kept a vigil until both mother and baby were doing well. When her first grandchild was born, she said she had always wanted to be called “Memere” and from that day forth she became affectionately known as “the Memere” by all her grandchildren and children. Family didn’t stop at just those she raised, but extended to many that she adopted along the way. She never forgot the Fournier family she grew up with and truly thought of them as her sisters and brothers. Throughout the years she celebrated with them during happy times and grieved with them during their losses. To Edna, if there was a friend in need she was there to do whatever she could. She spent nine years traveling to Frenchville to take her mother riding every weekend, helped her sister, Edith, settle in Maine, enjoyed taking her sister-in-law, Sandy, to church, and dragging her cousin, Dora Jean, to their Aunt Jean’s in South Portland to help her pick her crop of grapes so she could make her grape jelly and wine. Some weekends there wasn’t an area of Maine she didn’t touch; from Caribou to Edmundston, Portage to Patten, Winterport to South Portland regardless of the weather. The day she left us was as fast as the way she drove her red Toyota Tacoma; it was just a blur. For some she was a diamond in the rough, but to God she truly was a jewel in his crown. She is survived by her children, Paul Watson and his wife, Jeanine, of Caribou, Michele Gagnon and her husband, Dan, of Madawaska, Susan Ellis and her husband, Jon, of Patten, and Margaret Pierce and her husband, David, of Portage Lake; one sister, Edith Lajoie of Winterport; one brother, Paul Gagnon and his wife, Gisele, of Bristol, Conn.; her mother-in-law, Lorette Watson of Florida; a sister-in-law, Sandra Libby of Caribou; a special aunt, Jean Robbins of South Portland; 10 grandchildren, Benjamin, Devin and Samantha Watson, Zachary and Megan Gagnon, Ralph, Madeleine, George and Ezekiel Ellis, and Mason Pierce; several nieces and nephews. Mrs. Watson was predeceased by her husband, Gerald, in 2000; a son, Matthew; a brother, John Gagnon; a brother-in-law, Cecil Lajoie; and her father-in-law, Paul Watson. Friends are invited to attend a funeral Mass 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Aaron Damboise officiating. After the service all are invited to the parish hall for a time of fellowship and refreshments. Friends who wish to contribute in memory of Edna may do so to American Red Cross, Aroostook County Chapter, 111 High St., Suite 2, Caribou, ME 04736. Envelopes may be obtained through the funeral home. For online register go to www.mocklerfuneralhome.com.