ANNIE E. (ROSS) GERRISH

LUBEC – Annie E. (Ross) Gerrish, 90, passed away Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, surrounded by her family at a Machias nursing home. She was born Dec. 20, 1918, in Lubec, daughter of the late Robert E. and Emma Bellmont (Denbow) Ross. She attended Lubec schools and graduated from Lubec High School in 1937, with high honors. She graduated from the University of Maine, Orono, with a bachelor’s degree in education and subsequently received her master’s degree in education. Annie’s career in education was very important to her and her family. She first taught in Franklin, then Winter Harbor and completed her teaching career in Lubec. She taught various subjects in elementary schools, but her main focus was on her years teaching foreign languages – French and Latin at the high school level. During the summers, she worked with the mentally challenged. After her retirement, she substituted for many years, bringing her total educational career to 50 years. During an appreciation ceremony in 2004, she received a letter from Gov. Baldacci praising her for choosing to make a difference in the world through teaching. Annie began playing the organ in her church when only 12 years old. For more than 70 years, people have been blessed by her devoted service of music. She played at her own church, West Lubec United Methodist Church, as well as Sacred Heart Church, Lubec; Seventh Day Adventist Church, formerly of Lubec; and St. Anne’s Anglican Church, Welshpool, Campobello, New Brunswick. She also played at Lubec High School graduations, many school functions, weddings, and funerals and at other churches for special occasions as well. In her younger days, she also sang for many of these occasions. As well as being nominated for the Jefferson Award, she had been honored several times for her volunteerism in the community of Lubec, as well as surrounding communities. In 1993, she was selected as Volunteer of the Year out of a field of 60. Among her efforts: auxiliary member of Regional Medical Center, Lubec; Down East Hospital, Machias; Lubec Historical Society; DAR; Grange; and Friends of Teens. She had assisted at community events, fairs and suppers and served as “clothing collector” for the needy. There is hardly an organization in Lubec that has not known the benefit of Annie’s volunteering hands and heart. Many individuals have also been recipient of her care and nurturing, some in their last days of life. She loved to travel and visited many countries during her life, with one of the highlights being in attendance at The Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, in 1980. In 1999, she joined her brother, Everett, along with his church group from Georgia, to participate in building a church in Venezuela. She enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, knitting, sewing, crocheting, quilting, embroidering and often creating her own designs. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Leroy Gerrish; brothers, Arthur, Donald, John; sister, Elsie; son-in-law, “Sonny” Henry; and great-granddaughter, K. Bergeron. She is survived by her five daughters, Cathrine Knight and husband, Edwin, of Lubec, Nancy Strayer and companion, Laurence Ryder, of Newport, Susan Hynson and husband, Jim, of Pittston, Ethel Mahany of Bangor, and Dorothy Henry of Frankfort; and by her brothers, Everett Ross of Peachtree City, Ga., Bernard Ross and wife, Eileen, and Leonard Ross and wife, Margarita, of Lubec; her sisters-in-law, Minnie Ross, Gloria Gerrish, Priscilla (Gerrish) Treat and Samantha (Gerrish) Huff; and brothers-in-law, William and Hiram Gerrish. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren, Leonard Cox Jr. of Southwick, Mass., Loralyn (Strayer) Bergeron of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Lisa (Strayer) Tracy, Samuel Strayer Jr., Timothy Strayer, James Strayer, all of Bangor, Susanne Chandler of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., Peter Chandler of Portland, Ivan Creath of Tulsa, Okla., Carrie (Creath) Newey of Bangor, Dawn (Henry) Wilbur of Frankfort, Darren and Daniel Henry, both of Augusta; and two stepgrandchildren, Katherine Knight and Linda (Knight) Kehoe of Connecticut. She also has 18 great-grandchildren, Tyler, Nicholas and Kaitlyn Cox, Jason Bergeron, Hannah (Bergeron) Chilcote, Timothy and Jory Tracy, Sammi Jo (Tracy) Treadwell, Jordan Strayer, Andy and Meg Dumke, Gunnar and Garrett Newey, Joshua Wilbur, Kiara and Kaitlyn Henry, Davio and Velstara Henry, Bill, Kevin and Joe Kehoe; three great-great-grandchildren, Joseph and Emma Treadwell, and Madilynn Tracy; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. She was blessed by a very large family. One of her greatest joys was summertime when family and friends came to visit! Graveside services will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Split Hill Cemetery, West Lubec, with Pastor Bernie Hammond officiating. A reception will be at West Lubec United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make donations to Eastern Area Agency on Aging, attention Partners in Caring, 450 Essex St., Bangor, ME or West Lubec United Methodist Church, attention Hovey Hall, P.O. Box 385, Lubec, ME 04652. Funeral arrangements are by Mays Funeral Homes, Calais and Eastport. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.maysfuneralhome.com.