ROCKLAND - Eileen Troester, 89, entered the presence of her Savior the Lord Jesus, March 3 from her home. A time to visit with the family and friends will from 5:00 to 7:00pm, Thursday, March 22, at the Burpee, Carpenter and Hutchinson Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street in Rockland. A service in celebration of her life will be held at 11:00am, Friday, March 23, 2018 at West Rockport Baptist Church, 545 Park Street, Rockport.

Marion Eileen Bell was born January 21, 1929 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, the third of five children, of George (Les) and Ruth Bell.

Those left to honor Eileen’s memory include her youngest sister Ruth Steeves and her husband Lawrence; son, Gary and his wife, Venila; daughter, Karen Wiersma and her husband, David; and daughter, Beth Troester. Additionally she is survived by 11 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren (with two more on the way), and her nieces and nephews and their families.

As a teenager Eileen came to an understanding of the reality that she was a sinner in need of a Savior and placed her faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, and became active in the local Youth For Christ youth group. A traveling evangelist, Al Troester of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, preached at one of the YFC rallies. She later met him when he was speaking at Camp Wildwood where she was working, and a relationship began. After she attended a year at Toronto Bible College, they were married September 6, 1949, she was 20. She later finished her Bible School training at the Philadelphia Bible Institute. They were together just short of fifty-three years.

Eileen was the “Pastor’s wife” as Al pastored a church in Delaware where Gary and Karen were born, and later another in New Brunswick, Canada, where Beth was born. In 1960 Al became the Academic Dean and Bible teacher at what eventually became Glen Cove Bible College in Glen Cove, Maine. In the early years there Eileen trained Bible School students to work in Good News Clubs, and also taught a club in her own home.

She was “house mother” for 11 years to Bible School girls who lived upstairs in their home as a dormitory. She also co-taught Evangelical Teacher Training Association courses with Al for a few years in a church in Southern Maine. As well she worked briefly at W.T. Grants department store and as a teacher’s aide in the Rockland High School.

After Al was led of the Lord to resign from the College in 1976 he was further led to begin an itinerant ministry he called “Troester Bible Teaching Ministries”. For nearly twenty years they traveled together, encouraging and strengthening Christians in their spiritual walk. Eileen would often teach a Bible class for the children during Al’s teaching times, and she was often called upon to speak to Ladies groups. She wrote a letter she called “Gleanings,” which was sent out as part of Al’s quarterly notes.

When Al had to end his teaching ministry due to encroaching Alzheimer’s disease Eileen cared for him until his death in 2002. For a number of years she also took care of her daughter Beth’s “home office work” as she served as a missionary in Russia. She was active in their local church as a leader in the “Gleaners” ladies group and discipled a young woman whom she had led to the Lord. In 2001 she finally made the decision to become a U.S. citizen.

When Eileen was no longer able to fully care for herself due to the onset of dementia her daughter, Beth, became her caregiver for 10 years until her home-going. The family will always be grateful for Beth’s loving care of her Mother.

We also wish to express appreciation for the hospice and palliative care personnel of MaineHealth Care at Home that came in to care for Mom as well as her nurse practitioner, Jennifer Dreher who often made house visits to check on her.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Truckers for Christ P.O. Box 342, Hartland, ME 04943-0342, or Child Evangelism Fellowship, 431 Campground Road, Livermore Falls, ME 04254.