Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home

CUSHING – Jeannette Wales Chapman, 90, died peacefully in the comfort of her home, surrounded by her family, in the warmth of the late afternoon sun, Thursday, September 7, 2017.
Born in this very house on December 7th, 1926 to Clarence and Rose Wales, she took great pride in that she was born, raised, married, had children, and lived all her life fully in this beloved place.
Jeannette was known by so many as Mamagrand, and in her Great-Grandmother era as Frannie.
She wrote four books compiling many stories so her fond memories would be remembered and shared for years to come. Most recently she worked on one last book about the history of the farm property that began with a Land Grant in 1740. In true Jeannette fashion, she persevered and finished it just days before she sighed her last “that’s finished” breath. She always considered herself a storyteller, rather than an author.
She was inspired to write, and describing the simple daily beauties of farm life came from her heart. Her earliest outlet for this was to a friend serving in the armed forces who loved her sweet view of life back home. Neither of them knew at the time, that Walter would become the love of her life, the father of her children, her long-time husband and life partner for 61 years. When he returned back home in February 1946, he courted, proposed, and they were married on his birthday, April 15th of that year. Together Walter and Jeannette were dedicated to serving the Cushing community and beyond.
Jeannette was a ‘professional’ volunteer, beginning that career in her high school years as a Coastal Watcher for U-Boats and Enemy Aircraft. After graduating from Thomaston High School in 1945, she continued serving her Cushing community. At the age of 16 joined the Broad Cove Church, and this past spring she was honored with 75 years membership. She loved her little country church and joyfully spearheaded fundraising events such as the church summer and Christmas fairs, the Bean Hole Bean Supper, and building the church’s Heritage Room among many others throughout the years.
Gathering wild flowers from neighboring gardens and surrounding fields weekly throughout the year, Jeannette’s arrangements graced the church’s sanctuary for over 60 years. Her personalized creations became a visual focal point to everyone gathered there. The uniqueness of her floral arrangements complemented innumerable community functions and inspired many people.
Even while raising a family and participating in community activities Jeannette found time to be a Red Cross volunteer at the Veterans Hospital at Togus, on a weekly basis. For 53 years, Jeannette brought cheer to the veterans during their healing process. She helped paint woodworking projects, decorate leather crafts, and celebrate birthdays by creating birthday bulletin boards with every birthday named in an artful depiction of the month at hand. She organized the Birthday Cake Program for the Vets, making sure each month everyone would be honored with his own birthday cake. She would recruit friends and neighboring communities to join her in this labor of love. Even when the Rockland Chapter closed many years ago, Jeannette continued to serve as a Red Cross Volunteer. Jeannette had invested so much of herself into the lives of others that she was considered the epitome of the ideal American Red Cross volunteer. This past summer Jeannette was honored to be the recipient of the inaugural “Jeannette Chapman Service to the Armed Forces Volunteer Award” which will be given in her name annually henceforth.
When her father Clarence died in 1976, after having served as a ballot clerk for the Town of Cushing for 50 years, Jeannette took his place and proudly greeted her own town voters for another 40 years.
If a need in her community arose, she was the “go to” person to organize an event, find the helpers, and make it all happen. She was a founding member of the Cushing Historical Society as well as the Cushing Rescue Squad, which she served on for 14 years. Jeannette taught Sunday School and was a Girl Scout troop leader her early married years, and in her elder years she enjoyed the weekly visits to the Cushing Community School reading to the first graders who knew her as Frannie.
Listing her physical accomplishments on this earth is easy, harder still is describing her level of goodness and how she touched so many people throughout her life. Despite her years, she never lost her sense of wonder of the glories of nature and always easily imparted the flavor of that wonder with anyone fortunate enough to share a moment with her. People who loved her would likely have been the recipient of her knitting as not a child born in the town of Cushing (or beyond) went out into the world without one of Jeannette’s signature baby sweaters. They might have longed for one of her recipes that she guarded closely and although she held those secret formulas close, she shared the treats so freely that almost every mouth in the mid-coast area has been a recipient of a donut ball or a bite of her Chocolate Butter pie. People that loved her all have their favorite things they remember and the list is long and varied. Her smile and laughter, her sense of humor and quick wit, that wonderful twinkle in her eye as she teased, her generosity and endless energy, her everlasting desire to include everyone and bring everyone together was signature Jeannette, Mamagrand, and Frannie. She was a pillar of her town, a rock steady matriarch of her family, and an inspiration to all.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband Walter in 2007, her sister Terry Dodge in 2016. She is survived by her children and grandchildren whom were all born and raised in Cushing, her daughter Kate Chapman and son Kelvin Chapman of Rockport; and her four grandchildren, Eli Ellis and his wife Aura of Cushing, Zeb Ellis and his wife Kara Estey of Westbrook, Anna Ellis Fryer and her husband Luke of Seattle WA, and Dylan Chapman of Rockport. She also leaves behind four great-grandchildren, Lila and Phoebe Ellis in Cushing and Lyon and Liiluet Fryer in Seattle, several nieces and nephews all residing in the mid-coast area, as well as many dear friends that were like family to her.
A joyful celebration of sharing and remembering Jeannette is planned for Saturday afternoon, October 7th, at 1:00, in the field at her lifetime home Brookfield Farm in Cushing. Rain date will be on Sunday the 8th at 1:00.
Her family wishes to thank MaineHealth Care at Home Hospice for providing such loving care and kindness, Jeannette felt truly blessed and grateful to be in her home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in her name to the Broad Cove Church, c/o Ernie Harrington 49 Killeran Lane Cushing, ME 04563. Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland.