Karin E (Sherrard) Gower

Westbrook & Charlotte â€“ Karin E. (Sherrard) Gower, 95, widow of Harold W. Gower, formerly of Carlson St., Westbrook, passed away unexpectedly Oct. 21, 2013 at the Gorham House in Gorham, where she had resided the past year. Karin was born Sept. 14, 1918 in Charlotte ME, the daughter of Philip E. and Mildred A. (Goodeill) Sherrard, the first of 3 children. For the initial ten years of her life she and her parents resided with her maternal grandparents along the Moosehead Stream in Charlotte and thereafter on the Sherrard family farm on the shore of Round Pond in Charlotte originally settled by her paternal great grandfather. She attended various one room schools in Charlotte (Gardner, Lake and Damon ridge) and graduated from Pembroke High School in 1935 at the age of 16. Karin married her beloved husband, Harold, in Calais Oct. 8, 1935, with whom she shared nearly 75 years of a wonderful, loving marriage. The family moved to the Portland area in 1941, residing in Westbrook for 57 of the subsequent years. Although Karinâ€™s primary occupation was that of a housewife raising her 5 children, Karin also worked full time for a number of years, principally for Grants department store in the early 1950s, then as a housekeeper for the William Rines family of So. Portland beginning in 1954, concluding her formal outside employment with 5 years of service in the Central Supply department of Maine Medical Center in the 1970s. During World War II she served as a volunteer in the Red Cross Motor Corps, primarily as an ambulance driver. She also served as a volunteer Civil Air Defense observer for several years following the war. Karin was an active member of the Prides Corner Congregational Church for 54 years, during which time she was in charge of the dining room for the monthly bean suppers for many years, and where her custard pies were legendary right up to the time she moved to the Gorham House. She was very active in the Church Guild, of which she served as president for several years and as chairman of the Guild room for many Christmas fairs. She also contributed many quilts, pillows, pot holders, fine sewing items of various nature and plastic canvas ornaments, including many items for the fair held last weekend on which she had worked since moving to the Gorham House. She (and Harold) also worked for over 15 years as part of the Churchâ€™s support of the Soup Kitchen in Portland, not only as food servers but also by baking cookies or bars for each session on which they worked. The Grange was also an important part of Karinâ€™s life. Karin joined Charlotte Grange on September 28, 1938 and transferred her membership to Cape Elizabeth Grange on January 26, 1946. Not only was she a subordinate member for 75 years, she also belonged to Cumberland County Pomona Grange, the Maine State Grange, and the National Grange. She was past Master of Cape Elizabeth Grange and Junior Deputy three times for the Maine State Grange. She was an active participant of the Cape Elizabeth Grange Ceres Circle, serving as president and treasurer several years. She was a co-chairman of their annual fair and hostess of the dining room for the monthly fried clam and fried chicken public suppers put on by the grange in the 1960s and 1970s. She was a member of the grange installation team over several decades. She also bowled on the grange bowling team at the Big 20 for many years. Finally, for eight years she (and Harold) was a member of a team of eight dancers who demonstrated and taught square dancing, often for 2 or 3 nights a week. Karin (and Harold) was among the founding members of Hospice of Maine in 1976. In 1989 Karin and Harold jointly were recipients of the prestigious Mary Rines Thompson award given by the Center for Voluntary Action, a division of the United Way, in recognition of the exceptional and faithful service to the Hospice of Maine and their unwavering kindness and support for all people in need. The award indicated particularly their work in behalf of Hospice, the Grange, the Baxter School for the Deaf, the Little Wanderers, and their church. In 1997 the Gowers received a lifetime achievement award by the Spirit of America Foundation. Sharing and working for the benefit of others was a way of life for the Gowers. Karin was a member for 25+ years of the Maine Genealogical Society and the Maine Historical Society. In 1993 she published a genealogy of the descendants of her great grandfather, John Sherrard, through 7 generations. In 2003 Karin produced a 105 page memoir of her life for her children and grandchildren. She also printed for them in 2000 a 92 page book of her favorite recipes. Karin was a fabulous cook. She baked her first apple pie at age 9 under the guidance of her grandmother Sherrard and made hundreds of pies thereafter of all varieties. She canned or froze prodigious quantities of vegetables, pickles, apple sauce, mince meat, etc., each fall. Her yeast rolls and breads were always in demand, as was her peanut butter fudge. There was always room for 1 (or 6) more at Karinâ€™s table, even on very short notice, and room for 1 (or 6) more to spend the night. As suggested above, Karin was an accomplished seamstress. She made much of her childrenâ€™s clothing in their younger years. She made quilts for all her children and grandchildren, and made dozens of quilts for the Ronald McDonald House, A.B. C. AIDs Babies and Project Linus, contributing 1 â€“ 2 dozen quilts a year. She won many awards for her submissions to State Grange sewing contests. Karin had many other interests. She loved family camping trips. After Haroldâ€™s retirement they took a two month motor trip to Alaska. She went on many smaller trips, including trips to Prince Edward Island, Pennsylvania, and New York with special friends Bob and Charlotte Pratt. She liked to play cribbage and hand and foot; and enjoyed doing puzzles. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Harold, in Sept. 2010, an infant son Norman in March 1940, her sister Agatha Morrison in October 1995 and a son-in-law, Dominique Morin in Oct. 1994. She is survived by 5 children, Louise and her husband Lloyd Worster of Satellite Beach, FL; Gerald Gower and his wife Janice of Raymond, ME; Lois Morin of Sebago and her companion Leonard Grant of Greenville, ME; Horace Gower and his wife Sonya of Freeport, ME; Elmira Collins and her husband Clayton of Standish, ME; 15 grandchildren, Wendy Hocevar of Casselberry, FL; Rebecca and husband Naji Al-Mutairi of Kuwait, Belinda Lantz and husband Jack Lantz of Mariposa, CA ; Jodi and husband Jeff Strickle of Oviedo, FL; Kevin Gower and wife Maureen of Purcellville, VA; Michael Gower and wife Tami of Wells, ME; Brenda Gower of Zanesville, OH, Daniel Morin of York, ME and his fiancÃ© Gabrielle Burke; Gabriel Morin and his wife Betty of Francis, UT; Richard Gower & fiancÃ©e April Thompson of Orlando FL: SSGT Gary Gower of Fort Polk LA; Milissa and husband Ted Ray of Freeport, ME; Cathie Bernard of Windham, ME; Christine and husband Josh Gagliardi of Lake Mary FL; 26 great grandchildren, 7 great great grandchildren, her brother Chester Sherrard and his wife Maxine, of Davenport FL; several nieces and nephews and many many special friends. The family extends its sincere appreciation to the dedicated staff of the Gorham House for its loving support of Mom over the past year. Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, October 24, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., with a Grange Service at 7 p.m., at Blais & Hay Funeral Home, 35 Church St., Westbrook. A funeral Service will be held on Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the Prides Corner Congregational Church, Westbrook, with a reception to follow in the church hall. Interment will be at 2 p.m Saturday at the Round Pond Cemetery, in Charlotte, Maine. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Prides Corner Congregational Church, 235 Pride St. Westbrook, ME 04092.

Karin E (Sherrard) Gower

September 14, 1918 - October 21, 2013

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