Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home

CAMDEN - Norma Lowell Bauer, 94, formerly Tenants Harbor, passed away on May 16, 2016 at Quarry Hill in Camden. She was born in 1921 in Everett, Massachusetts and was the only child of Aaron and Eva (Brannen) Wall. Norma spent her childhood in Arlington, Massachusetts, graduated from Arlington High School in 1940 and attended the University of New Hampshire at Durham.

During the 1930s, Norma’s parents purchased a summer home in Martinsville across the road from Martinsville Harbor. Norma enjoyed the challenge of frequent swims out to Grandfather Island. During one of her summers in Maine, Norma met Howard Lowell, a Port Clyde resident, and they married in Arlington, Massachusetts in April 1941.

During the late 1940s, in addition to caring for her two young sons, David and Steven, and supporting a new family business, Norma served as the Town Clerk for St. George. She also joined with other mothers and community members to raise funds to begin a hot lunch program for the local school. From 1952 to 1959, the town’s telephone office was in the family’s Tenants Harbor home and Norma was one of the switchboard operators. For several years in the 1950s and 1960s, Norma was the Secretary/Treasurer of Seaside Cemetery and worked alongside her family maintaining the cemetery grounds. She was also the bookkeeper and secretary at Lowell Brothers Garage until the service station and fuel oil business was sold in 1978. In addition to these civic activities, Norma spent many years providing floral arrangements for the Baptist Church in Tenants Harbor.

After her husband Howard’s death in November 1980, Norma moved to Sun City Center, Florida. While living in this retirement community, she married Richard Bauer, who predeceased her in February 1997.

In moments of leisure, Norma collected antiques, especially pressed pattern glass and had fun traveling to new places. She enjoyed swimming, reading and crafts such as tole painting, needlepoint, and bargello. Norma also dedicated herself to working the annual Rummage Sale, a long-time summer fundraising activity for the local M.E. Jackson Memorial Library, one of her favorite places. From a young age, Norma was a fan of the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Bruins and loved watching these teams play, especially in person at Fenway Park and the Boston Garden.

Norma is survived by her son David Lowell and his wife Elaina of Tenants Harbor, her granddaughter Robin Lowell of Yarmouth, as well as several cousins in New England and Nova Scotia.

The family would like to extend its thanks and appreciation to the caring and dedicated staff at Quarry Hill in Camden. Since 2005, Norma lived at Quarry Hill and most recently was cared for by the wonderful staff in the Gardens’ long-term nursing care unit.

A private committal service will be held at Seaside Cemetery in Tenants Harbor at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Jackson Memorial Library, PO Box 231, Tenants Harbor, ME 04860.

Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, Rockland, is assisting Norma’s family.