BREWER – Ruth E. Wheaton, 94, died of pancreatic cancer Jan. 12, 2011, at a Brewer rehabilitation center. She was born April 23, 1916, in Somerville, Mass., daughter of Arthur H. and Alice Lillian (Dugan) Christie. Her mind was sharp until the end, as was her remarkable ability to find humor. Ruth attended Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education in 1938, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1993. She was president of her college class, and taught art at Somerville High School. She married well known Maine guide and outdoorsman, Woodie Wheaton, in 1939, and settled at Grand Lake Stream. She held a lifelong affection for Grand Lake Stream and her neighbors there. She and Woodie founded Wheaton’s Lodge, Forest City, on the shore of East Grand Lake, and together built the sporting camp into one of national prominence. Upon retirement in 1976, they traveled with friends throughout the U.S. and Europe. After sporting camp life, Ruth returned to her watercolors. Her thoughtful and skilled touch with a diverse array of subjects and scenes earned her regional recognition as an artist. She painted with Milton Howarth and Zoltan Szabo, and was honored by the Bangor Daily News in 1970, and Bangor Public Library in 2006. In 2006, she gave property and inspiration for construction of Woodie Wheaton Land Trust Center, to support its conservation mission and to serve members of the community in the tiny international village of Forest City. Ruth is survived by her special sister and husband, Alice and Bev Weatherby of Brewer, formerly of Grand Lake Stream; three sons and their wives, Arthur and Doris Wheaton of Forest City and Greensboro, N.C., Lance and Georgie Wheaton of Forest City, and Dale and Jana Wheaton of Forest City and Dedham; eight grandchildren, Heather, April, Holly, Gwen, Shane, Jill, Meagan and Kim; and 13 great-grandchildren. Ruth is also survived by many special friends, Pipines, Brooks, Martin, Gwirtzman, Serebrakian and others. She was grateful for her friends and the gracious and caring staff at Ellen Leach Home, Brewer. Friends and relatives are invited to share their recollections and conversation 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor. A graveside service will be held in May at Grand Lake Stream Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in Ruth’s memory to Grand Lake Stream Congregational Church, P.O. Box 18, Grand Lake Stream, ME 04637 or Woodie Wheaton Land Trust, 2 Grove Road, Forest City Township, ME 04413. Family members express their profound appreciation to those who touched our mother’s life and our own.
RUTH E. WHEATON
