Hilda E Wigley

Hilda E. Wigley , born June 10, 1911, the next to the youngest of 17 children of Thomas J. and Mary Etta (Maxwell) Lowery in Brunswick, Maine, died peacefully in her home in Westbrook on August 14, 2012. Hilda grew up in Brunswick, Maine and graduated from Brunswick High School, class of 1930. She was a very shy child and told of a story that she had to stay back in kindergarten because she would not talk to the teacher. She met the love of her life, Kenneth L. Wigley, at a dance in Brunswick at what was called a USO. He was a friend of a friend of hers and they hit it off so well they later married on June 10, 1939. Kenneth was drafted a short time later, and they were separated for four long years by the events of WWII. Once reunited, they made their first home in Portland, Maine. They had two children, Peter and Jane, and established their first home in Gray, Maine. Hilda was a homemaker, relishing in the care of her family. She loved gardening, baking and needlework. In 1955, Hilda and Ken sold their home to care for her father in Brunswick until his death. Subsequently she also cared for a sister,who had contracted a very debilitating form of MS, until her death in 1959. Those were the days when doctors made housecalls and became close friends of families. After the death of her sister, the town of Brunswick started a relentless push to buy the family home, the home where Hilda was born. In the end, the town won and took the home by â€œeminent domainâ€ forcing the family to move. A new chapter started for Hilda and Ken and they bought a home in Salmon Falls, Buxton, Maine. A home Hilda would live in for the next twenty years. Hilda transformed the landscape of her new home, an 1860â€™s colonial, with flower gardens, a small pond, bushes and trees, and a large vegetable garden. Her love of animals brought many cats and dogs to have a happy home. She loved to feed the birds, so every home had an assortment of birdfeeders. In July of 1974, the love of her life died suddenly, leaving her a widow. She was only 64 . It was a devastating blow to her, but with the love of family and a 2 Â½ year old granddaughter, and the promise of a new grandchild to be born in the September, she found the reason to keep on living. In 1980, her children both independent with families of their own, she sold the family home and moved back to Brunswick where she had the support of two brothers and a sister. Hilda eventually moved in with her older sister, who had developed Alzheimerâ€™s disease, and cared for her until her death. Hilda remained in this home, again transforming the landscape with her â€œgreen thumbâ€ until the cost of living in Brunswick grew too expensive for a fixed income. She and her daughter Jane had been talking about joining forces and they each learned that they both loved log homes. Janeâ€™s family had all graduated from high school and she wanted to move closer to Portland. Hilda sold her home, moved in with Jane in her home in Limington, Maine. Thus a new chapter in Hildaâ€™s life began. After spending many a day driving the countryside, they found the perfect spot in Westbrook. They researched different types of log homes, went to home shows together and finally met with a contractor in 1995. After spending many a day driving the countryside, they found the perfect spot in Westbrook. Together they designed their new home and after much sweat and tears, moved into their new log home in 1996. Once again she got out her â€œgreen thumb â€œ and the home is blessed with the fruit of her labors in the many gardens she planted. Hildaâ€™s journey has been a long and marvelous one. The road has not always been smooth, but so many lessons learned and shared along the way. Hilda was never old to her family . When she was in her 80â€™s she used to go for long hikes on the logging roads in Limington with her teenaged grandchildren, and no one thought anything unusual about it. She became â€œNanaâ€ to all the grandchildrenâ€™s friends and to all who came to know her. When Hilda was in her 80â€™s she even climbed mountains in Arcadia National Park during the familyâ€™s summer vacations, until severe arthritis caused her to give up on the more strenuous walking. Hilda became a â€œposter childâ€ for older persons who would consider joint replacement surgery after successfully having a total knee replacement at the young age of 92. Her only regret was that she could no longer kneel to garden. She lived a lifeâ€™s philosophy of â€œit is better to give than receiveâ€ and gave freely of her time to her family, babysitting her great grandchildren when she was well into her 80â€™s. She also gave what money she had to worthy charities, particularly to animal causes and those involving children. She wore her heart on her sleeve when it came to both animal and human cruelties. Mom loved to read, and her personal routine was to get a cup of coffee, the daily newspaper and settled down for the morning- the paper was read from front to back every day- before her day really began. There were times when appointments would crowd this ritual but she would sure try to get it done before anything else. â€œI knew Mom was not well the day she stopped reading the paper.â€ Hilda did not limit her reading to the newspaper- she loved a good mystery novel, gardening books, poetry, religious works, philosophy, history, and nonfiction. She loved to spend an afternoon making puzzles, and would often be joined by Stephanie, Heather or Jane to help find a piece. It was common to have the cardboard table set up for the winter months with a puzzle in the making. Hilda will be missed by all who knew her for her beautiful smile, red lipstick, and great sense of humor, loving and kind demeanor and a real lady. â€œShe was so much more than a mother; she became by best friend and mentor â€“ always there for me, a constant supporter and confidant. I will greatly miss her, but know that she is now in heaven dancing with my dad, and reuniting with her son and granddaughter, and all her friends and relatives. â€œ. She was predeceased by her husband, Kenneth L. Wigley, her son, Peter J. Wigley, and a granddaughter Kathryn A. Larkin. She is survived by her daughter Jane A. Richard and husband Raymond, granddaughters Kristina M. (Larkin) Moore and her husband Grady of Ootlewah, Tenn., Stephanie A. Larkin and partner Jeffery Wilson of Cumberland, Maine, and Jennifer (Wigley) Holsinger and husband Eric of Saco, and grandsons K. Alex J. Larkin of Westbrook and Sean Coffey of Boston, Mass.; step grandsons Michael Richard and wife Christina of Lisbon Falls, Peter Richard of Sanford, Nathaniel Richard of Waterboro, and Benjamin Richard and wife Stephanie of Lebanon, Maine. She also has seven great-grandchildren- Heather Labrecque of Windham(Kristine), Kaitlynn and Marie Gammon of Cumberland( Stephanie), Kimberly (Alex), and Margaret and Katheryn Moore (7 month old twin girls whom she was able to meet and hold for the first time a month ago), Delsin Holsinger(Jennifer) of Saco, and five step grandchildren Devin Richard(Peter), Emma, Brady and Audrey Richard, (Ben and Stephanie)and Rose Richard(Mike and Christina). Hilda is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins both in the U.S. and Canada. There will be no visiting hours. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 20, 2012 at St. Paulâ€™s Anglican Church, 279 Congress Street, Portland, Maine. Online condolences may be expressed at www.Blaisandhayfuneralhome.com. Jane and her family would like to thank Jeanne Astwood for her care and devotion to Hilda an enabling to help her stay in her own home; the care of Lisa, a PCA from Arcadia Healthcare who also provided exceptional care to Hilda, allowing her the dignity of growing old gracefully. A great big thank you to VNA Homehealth and Hospice for providing nurses Sheila and Jen, social worker Annie, and chaplain Ken who helped Jane with the daunting task of keeping her promise to her mother and not placing her in a nursing home â€“ of taking the road less traveled, but one her own mother took in keeping her loved ones home. A special thank you is sent also to Dr. Daniel Loiselle for providing the care and support both to Hilda and Jane.

Hilda E Wigley

June 10, 1911 - August 14, 2012

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