BREWER – Evelyn “Betty” A. Sprague, 86, wife of the late C. Edmund “Ned” Sprague, died July 28, 2010, at a Bangor hospital. She was born March 3, 1924, in Brewer, daughter of Leland and Gladys (Davies) Betts. Betty lived on Goupee Street, Brewer, to begin her long, wonderful life, and passed away living in the same house where she learned about love, compassion, kindness and the value of true friendships. She graduated from Brewer High School, Class of 1941, and was hopeful to attend her 70th class reunion, and nearly made it. After graduation she soon married her high school sweetheart, a very handsome athlete, C. Edmund Sprague. World War II loomed near and Neddy Sprague joined the U.S. Army, and being the good military wife, she joined him, and their first son, Neddy Gene, was born in 1941. Cpl. Sprague went to officer’s school and became Lt. Sprague at Fort Sill, Okla. He would fight with Gen. Patton in Europe, where he would be gravely wounded and received many heroic citations. After the war, Betty and Ned settled in the Bangor-Brewer area and raised two more children, a daughter, Diane, born in 1947, and their last child, Stephen, born in 1950. Betty worked for many years at Eastern Fine Paper, Brewer, making scores of friends and friendships that lasted many years. The mill closed and Betty went to work in the city clerk’s office with Archie Verow, one of her life-long friends. In addition to her indomitable spirit and unbeatable personality, she was very gifted musically. She had a beautiful voice, could play piano, accordion, etc., and though she could not read music, she could play anything by ear. She played for Jimmy Vardamis in all of his restaurants and ventures; played at Lucerne Inn, Holiday Inn, Brewer Rehab and other assisted living homes. She truly loved making people smile and giving them pleasures through her music. After retiring from Brewer City Hall, she still played piano as often as she could and amassed a huge following of regulars wherever she played. Of course there were the poker games, for years at Sings Restaurant and Geaghan’s, where she won more than she lost, but the important part of playing was the friends she played with. Her last gig was playing for the Kiwanians, where she truly loved being and they loved having her. It is not possible to list all those people who adored her, who admired her and who loved her as her husband and children did. Our lives were enriched in ways that cannot be counted. Anyone who met Betty, even once, could tell what a special woman she was, and everyone that knew her had “Betty stories.” We all were blessed with her 86 years. She lived a good life and lived it her way. People would walk into city hall with a frown and grumbling about their taxes, she would smile at them, agree and tell them a dirty joke. They would smile, laugh and leave poorer in the wallet, but richer in spirit. This is what Evelyn Aldena (Betts) Sprague did for all of us. When she gets to the pearly gates, as she surely will, St. Peter will say, “You done good, you done real good.” Goodbye, from all of us. Betty is survived by two sons, Neddy Sprague of Florida and Steve Sprague of Bangor; one daughter, Diane and her husband, Clarke Hinkle, of Ohio; one brother and his wife, Harlan Betts and Jeannine of Winterport; and five grandchildren, Patrick, Trevor, Derek, Nickolas and Stephen. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by a grandson, Neddy Jr. Friends may call 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1, at Brookings-Smith, Clark-Piper Chapel, 55 South Main St., Brewer, where funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 2, with the Rev. Dr. Henry G. Wyman officiating. Interment will be after at Oak Hill Cemetery, Brewer. Gifts in Betty’s memory may be sent to Bangor Humane Society, 693 Mount Hope Ave., Bangor, ME 04401. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.BrookingsSmith.com.
EVELYN ‘BETTY’ A. SPRAGUE
