CASTLE HILL – Gwendolyn Anna Louise (West) Turner was taken into God’s loving care June 12, 2010, surrounded by her cherished husband and family of nine children, 23 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, at a Bangor hospital. She was born May 21, 1929, in Caribou, to Sidney A. and C. Mary (Tarr) West. She was raised on the family farm in Castle Hill, graduated from Mapleton High School and went on to attend Aroostook State Teachers College/Normal School, Presque Isle. She married Alfred “Donald” B. Turner, June 23, 1948. Her vocation in life was to marry her soul mate, Don, to raise a large family, and to be her children’s first teacher. It wasn’t until her children were all in school full-time, when she decided to work outside the home. For 30 years she was dedicated to feeding thousands of children in the SAD No.1 school lunch program, where she took much pride in her skill of cooking and managerial duties, but most of all in sharing her love for children while being their number one advocate. Her food service experience and love of children allowed her to further her passion and dedication to Aroostook Teen Leadership Camp annually for nearly 20 years. She was well respected and known in Aroostook County for her outstanding homemade baked bread and remarkable love for flowers. Gwen was predeceased by her parents; brothers, Reginald, Galen, Paul Duane and Sidney Jr.; along with her son-in-law, Boyd E. Roope; and her grandson, Brock Elijah Hartt. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of nearly 62 years, Donald, who had o been her caregiver for the past eight years after her cancer diagnosis in 2002: her two sons, Donald R. “Butch” of Castle Hill and his children, Brian and wife, Tyama, their children, Chelsie, Ashley and Meagan, Robert and significant other, Lisa Hewitt, and her children, Andrew and Alyssa Hewitt, Lindsey and her children, Evan, Jerrin and Madison; Martin and his wife, Denise, and their children, Kimberly and fiance, Jim Hitchcock, and Molly and Ethan: along with her seven daughters, Carol and her husband, Willie Soucy, of Castle Hill, and their daughter, Joanna and husband, Todd Newlands, and their children, Nicholas and Landyn, Nancy and her husband, James Saucier, of Caribou, and their children, Michael and wife, Renee, and their children, Austin and Kayla, Matthew and wife, Kim, and their children, Olivia, Caleb and Noah, Dustin and fiancee, Erica Martin, and daughter, Ashlynn; Annette Roope of Castle Hill and her children, Melissa and husband, Nathan Maurais, and son, Edwin and Jessica; Mary and her husband, Allen Michaud, and their children, Troy, Ryan, Angelie and husband, Tyler Thompson, and their children, Tayler and Easton, Alice and her husband, Dana McQuade, of Mars Hill, and their children, Andrew and wife, Lori, and their children, Maggie and Jack, and Andrea and husband, John Melton, and their daughter, Skyler; Julie and husband, Ervin “Perk” Perkins, of Castle Hill, and their children, Kara, Kyle and Kurtis; and Marcia and husband, Alton Hartt, and their children, Brandon and Katelynn: also her special sister, Wilma and husband, Lou Cattana, of Corpus Christi, Texas. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 16, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with the Very Rev. Jean Paul LaBrie officiating. Friends may call 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at Duncan-Graves Funeral Home, 30 Church St., Presque Isle. Interment will be at Southside Cemetery, Mapleton. Donations may be made in her memory to Mapleton Elementary School Library, 1642 Main St., Mapleton, ME 04758 or Aroostook Teen Leadership Camp, care of Jack Foster, P.O. Box 1018, Caribou, ME 04736. Online condolences may be expressed at www.duncan-graves.com.
GWENDOLYN A. TURNER
