BURNHAM – Caroline P. Mitchell, 84, died peacefully Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, surrounded by her loving family at a Waterville hospital. Caroline Pearl Shepard was born Nov. 27, 1924, at the home of her grandparents in Castle Hill. She was the eldest of three children. She learned to cook from her grandmother, something that many of us have all benefited from through the years. In 1943, she was valedictorian of her graduating class. After graduating, she became general manager of Windsor Hotel, Belfast, which is where she met Sgt. Robert Mitchell. Carol and Bob married Feb. 24, 1950, and moved to Burnham. This became her hometown and this summer she reminded her family that she had been a “Burnhamite” for 59 years. Carol loved her town and became involved in any way she could along with raising her four children. She became the cook at the village school in 1967. In 1970, she was voted into the office of town clerk, where she served her town for 36 years before retiring in 2006. She became the dispatcher, secretary treasurer and member of the fire department in 1974. For many years she also operated the deer tagging station in town. Caroline was a truly dedicated person who volunteered and served her community well, whether raising money for them, leading the child health clinic program, spending hours updating town records or putting together town road maps for the firefighters. In 1999, Carol was the recipient of the distinguished Ethel Kelly Award. This award is given by the Maine Municipal Association honoring an individual who has given of their time and energy to their community. She is survived by her three children, Diana Mitchell Hartley of Clinton, Wayne Mitchell and his wife, Linda, of Burnham, and Bruce Mitchell and Peggy of Burnham; her grandchildren, Terry “Toby” Hartley of Clinton, Jeff Hartley and his wife, Missy, of Dade City, Fla., Brenda Orffer and her husband, Colin, of McCleary, Wash., Kip Connolly and his wife, Stephanie, of Madison, James Connolly of Livermore Falls, Joey Connolly and his wife, Sherry, of the Florida Keys, Susan Nolan and her husband, Lee, of Burnham, Bonnie-Jean Mitchell and her friend, Jason Carr, of Pittsfield, and Becky Greeley and her husband, Alex, of Pittsfield; her great-grandchildren, Ashley, Luke, Nadia, Arianna, Tyler, Kyle, Nicholas and Elaine “Lainey”; and her brother, Eben Ellis and his wife, Jean, of Ashland. She was predeceased by her husband, Robert Mitchell; her daughter, Sheryl; her parents; and a sister, Ellen. The family will receive friends 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at Shorey-Nichols Funeral Home, 191 Hartland Ave., Pittsfield, where a funeral service will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, with the Rev. Scott Jones officiating. Interment will be after at Greenlawn Rest Cemetery, Route 100, Clinton. All are invited to a gathering immediately after the committal at Burnham Village Fire Station, Troy Road, Burnham. To leave a message of kindness for the family, please visit www.shoreynichols.com.
CAROLINE P. MITCHELL
