HOLDEN and DEXTER – Constance (Goulette) Tetu, 85, passed away Aug. 28, 2011, at Maine Veterans Home, Bangor. Connie was born May 24, 1926, in Dexter, daughter of Mahile and Edith (Carette) Goulette.
After graduating N.H. Fay High School, she attended the Maine School of Commerce, which is now Husson University, and later worked at Merrill Trust Co. Connie married Ralph Tetu, June 14, 1947.
While raising their four children, Connie worked in the Dexter school system as a teacher’s aide and then in the hot lunch program. Throughout life she loved music and dancing. She was a former member of Dexter Women’s Literary Club. At retirement, Connie and Ralph wintered in Florida. Connie developed a true passion for shuffleboard and quickly became a pro. She “shuffled” all throughout Florida and loved every minute of it. When she wasn’t enjoying Florida, she was back in Maine playing cards – she really didn’t like losing, frying doughnuts, knitting wool socks for her children, and making root beer and/or dandelion wine. At times the brewing was volatile, but it certainly made us laugh. She was a top-notch berry picker and even the youngsters had a hard time keeping up with her. When tomato season arrived, she worked nonstop canning so as not to waste a one. We all enjoyed her efforts throughout the winter.
Connie is survived by her husband, Ralph; son, Thomas and his wife, Carmen Tetu, of Holden; daughters, Rita and her husband, Dick Hitchcock, of Dexter, and Jayne and her husband, Colan Davis, of Holden; sisters, Rita Larson of Dexter and Dorothy Grawe of Florida; brother, Rudolph and his wife, Althea Goulette, of Dexter; sister-in-law, Esther Goulette of Garland; grandchildren, Ryan Tetu, Carrie White, Alyson Saunders, Megan Hitchcock and Summer Andrews; and eight great-grandchildren. Connie was predeceased by her son, Michael, in 1971; brothers, Vallair, Cassimer and Bernard; two sisters, Imogene Keene and Eleanor Mace. The family thanks the Maine Veterans Home for their loving care of our mother.
Relatives and friends may call 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, at Crosby & Neal, 61 Main St., Dexter. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Dexter, with the Rev. Kent Oulette officiating. Burial will be at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Dexter. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Maine Veterans Home, Activities Department, 44 Hogan Road, Bangor, ME 04401 or American Cancer Society. One Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 300, Topsham, ME 04086. For an online guest register, go to
www.CrosbyNeal.com.