Many in the town of Easton are saddened by the death of the town’s oldest citizen and holder of the Boston Post Gold Head Cane. Lillian Keirstead, 104 years old, passed away two days after Christmas at The Aroostook Medical Center. Lillian became a resident of Easton, from Fort Fairfield, in 1929 when she married Ray Keirstead; before that she had been a beloved, one-room school teacher in several schools in the Fort Fairfield-Caribou area. After marrying Ray and while he was in the service, she went with him to wherever he was stationed and so lived in several places in the United States.
Lillian was a member of the Easton United Baptist Church, a member and past president of the Pattee-Page Unit 187 American Legion Auxiliary, a past president of the Easton Happy Days Senior Citizens Club, and she also was a beloved house mother at the University of Maine at Presque Isle for a few years. At the age of 100 years she marched in the UMPI’s commencement processional as the oldest living graduate of the institution. Lillian had spent the last few years as a resident of the Presque Isle Health Care Facility. Clear-minded and outgoing, she was never ready for the day until she had her makeup and jewelry on and in place. She will be sorely missed by her family: daughter Jeannie and Richard Kneeland, of Easton; daughter Carol Ann Keirstead of Greer, South Carolina; and the Kneeland children: Keith Kneeland and family, Barbara Blackstone, and family, both of Easton; and Cheryl Koenke and family, of Greer, South Carolina. Most of the family had recently been home to spend some time with her. Funeral services were held at the Duncan Funeral Home with Pastors Larry Palmer and Lawrence Beals officiating. Interment will be in the spring at Estes Park Cemetery in Easton. Those wishing to remember her may do so to the Foundation of the University at Presque Isle, designated to the Alumni Scholarship, 181 Main Street, Presque Isle, ME 04769.
Another shock to some of the residents in town was the sudden death of Brenda Parker, formerly, Buckingham, in a car accident on Route 11 just above Knowles Corner on Thursday, Dec. 28. Brenda, 57, was riding with her daughter, Terry and husband, Alan Almeida, of Ashland, returning home from a visit to Brenda’s son, Merle Buckingham Jr. in Bangor. It is not known at this time why the van left the road and rolled over. Brenda was riding in the rear seat. Terry and her husband were not seriously hurt but Brenda died at the scene. People will remember her as a petite, friendly, young woman with a ready smile, when she lived here in Easton. She had just recently lost her second husband, who had been wheelchair bound for several years.
Organizations
The Easton Happy Days Senior Citizens Club will be meeting on Jan. 11 at the West Ridge Manor rec room for their regular meeting with a potluck lunch and Beano games after the meeting.
Visits
Larry and Melanie Nichols and little daughter, Machenzie, of Falmouth, arrived in Easton just in time for Larry to play in the annual alumni basketball game on Saturday evening. They spent the Christmas holidays with Larry’s family here, making their base of visiting with his brother and wife, Kevin and Nancy Nichols and daughters, Ashley and Paige. They visited with his mother Glenice Craig and aunt Avis Humes during the day. They enjoyed Christmas dinner at Kevin and Nancy’s home and were joined by their sister, Peggy Mitchell, who has recently moved to Presque Isle. After Christmas, visitors with the family were Peggy’s son and wife, Randy and Lynn Mitchell, of North Andover, Mass., and their daughters, Kirsten, Allison, and twins Samantha and Sophie. They came on Wednesday to Presque Isle to visit his mother, then visited with Randy’s grandmother, Glenice, and aunt Avis and had a pizza party at suppertime with Kevin and Nancy and the girls, on Thursday, before returning home the next day.
Dottie and Duncan Beaton left the day after Christmas to fly out of Bangor for Coralville, Iowa, where they will spend a week with their daughter, Dr. Dawn Quelle, and husband, Dr. Fred, and their family. Duncan took his ice skates and will not let himself get stale on the ice as there is a great indoor rink there which he skates on when he visits.
Tony Day of Bangor was also home with her mother, Treasa Lloyd, for the Christmas holidays. She also played, very hard, in the annual alumni girl’s basketball game.
Hospitalized
Darrell Page and wife, Adeline, returned home from Boston and the Dana Farber Cancer Clinic just before Christmas after spending a week there. Darrell and Adeline drove to Boston and the hospital last week for checkups and will have to go there once a week for three months. We only pray that good health will return to Darrell by then.
