LOWELL – Laura B. Rolfe, 102, wife of the late Ben Rolfe, passed away June 23, 2011, at a Bucksport health care facility. She was born Dec. 31, 1908, in Lowell, daughter of Lloyd L. and Angie (Goodwin) Fox.
Laura graduated from Lee Academy in 1928 and taught school for 41 years. She began teaching at Long Ridge Schoolhouse in 1928, taught 37 years at Lowell Corner School and finished her career in Burlington, from which she retired. In all of her years of teaching, she never missed a day of school, dedicating her life to all the children of the Lowell area. She was married to Ben Rolfe for nearly 54 years, and they owned and operated sporting camps on Escutarsis Lake for many years. In 2010 she received Lowell’s Boston Post Cane for being the town’s oldest resident. She was a member of Eastern Star, Senior Citizens and Maine State Grange, and a 75-year member of Escutarsis Grange. Her hobbies included fishing, playing the piano, reciting poems, doing crossword puzzles, growing flowers and working in the garden. In the past few years, she was a resident of Cummings Health Care, Howland, and the past few months she had been living at Thistle Hill Boarding Home, Bucksport, where she felt like she was home, living with Iris and Mike Wood. She enjoyed the visits from Miss Judy’s preschool class, where her special great-great-niece, Jennie Whitten, by whom she will be sadly missed, attended. The visits would always end with Miss Rolfe singing a special song about a young teacher teaching at the corner school.
In addition to her parents and her husband, she was predeceased by three brothers and two sisters, George, Richard and Orman Fox, Margaret Higgins and Anne Blande. Her survivors include, nieces and nephews, Bette Whitten and Harold of Lowell, George Fox, and Sue Chagron, both of York, Wanda Howe of Sanford, Elinor Honsbee of Garden City, S.C., and Barbara York of Falmouth; great-nephews, Harold Whitten Jr. and his wife, Kim, and Jeffrey Whitten and his wife, Cheryl, all of Enfield; as well as great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews, Katie, Allisa, Jacob, Hannah and Jennie Whitten.
A graveside service will be held 10 a.m. July 2 at Lowell Cemetery with Pastor John Fennell officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Corner School Restoration Fund, P.O. Box 166, Burlington, ME 04417. Arrangements with Clay Funeral Home, 7 Lee Road, Lincoln. Those who wish may sign an online register and leave written condolences at
www.clayfuneralhome.com.