Mina Belle Preston

Mina grew up in the little coastal fishing town of Roque Bluffs, Maine. She was the 4th of 10 children. Life was simple in those days: there were fresh springs of water to fetch in the woods, home baked beans and biscuits cooked on wood stoves, garden to table vegetables, and best of all her mother Minnie's made from scratch molasses cookies. Barn dances were common. Nearby Machias was their shopping center and where many worked and played. A Norman Rockwell look alike, it had an A&P, a 5& 10, a movie theatre and, of course, a corner pharmacy and soda shop where her older sister Alta, worked for decades. Mom left that little town of Roque Bluffs with her childrens' father, Fred Hirning, to make a life further south in Maine, but the town never left her. She was always talking about the good old days, back home. Mina worked throughout her 92 years of life in many of the different factories that were iconic to Maine, but which later disappeared, including fish and shoe factories. She proudly worked as a cleaning technician at a local hospital with her sister, Gail, for many years and from where they both retired. Mina was a woman who loved animals. She would do kind deeds like stop daily at a local farm house with food to feed over 30 feral cats that would have otherwise gone hungry. Later, she helped to trap them, so that they could all be neutered and placed in new homes. That was who she was. Her greatest love, however, was selling antique and old costume jewelry at Maine's flea markets. After working in the hospital long hard days all week, she never missed a weekend at her favorite flea market staying joyfully from sunup to sun down. They were her friends, her people, her best of life, and she enjoyed every minute of it. She continued that love right into her late eighties and never gave up hope of returning to them again, even when the last one closed for good. Mina chose the music with which to dance through life. She wouldn't allow anyone to change her tune. She was strongly loved and she will be greatly missed by the family who survives her, including the last of ten, her youngest brother, Vernon Preston still residing in their home town. Mina had three children of whom she was all very proud. Her oldest child Linda Preston and her husband Richard Preston had two children, Aaron and David Joshua. Her middle child Fred Hirning and his wife Cindy also had two children Fred and Derek. Her youngest child, Rita DeMeuse, she proudly called her "veterinary doctor". Mina also had many nieces and nephews. They all meant the world to her. Sister Gail's children, having lived near her throughout their lives in the Portland area, had an especially close relationship with their Aunt Mina. She was a constant visitor and attended all their family functions throughout many decades. A simple Graveside Service will be held on Saturday August 23, 2025 at 10:00 am at Brooklawn Cemetery located at 2002 Congress St Portland, ME 04102. We will all miss Mom.

Mina Belle Preston

April 30, 1933 - July 3, 2025

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