Rev. Harold W. Carpenter

Reverend Harold Winston Carpenter passed away Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at Sedgewood Commons in Falmouth, Maine. He was 88 years old. Harold was predeceased by his wife Wilma (Elliott) Carpenter in 2014, his daughter-in-law Judy Carpenter in 2020 and his son-in-law Richard Messana in 2020.
Born on December 4, 1932, in New Castle Bridge, New Brunswick, Canada, he was the son of Reverend Harold Wellington and Evelyn (Hovey) Carpenter. Harold was born on a bitterly cold and wintery Saturday night in the Baptist Parsonage; the doctor who had come out from Fredericton for the delivery ended up spending the night. His Dad later said that with the excitement of the birth of his first child he did not have time to polish his Sunday sermon, but that Sunday morning the church parishioners said it was one of his best sermons ever.
Harold's early childhood was spent on Grand Manan Island, off the Atlantic coast of Canada. Some of his earliest childhood memories were of traveling the island with his parents, hunting for seagull eggs, visiting the island light house, trips to St. John, NB on the ferry boat and the birth of his sister Mary Louise (Lou). He was a typical big brother, and his parents use to say he wasn't happy unless he was teasing his sister Mary Lou about something. His father's ministry later took his family to Oromocto, NB and Centreville, NB.
Many of Harold's fondest childhood memories were of summers spent on his Grandfather Hovey's farm in Ludlow, NB. He, Mary Lou and his cousins spent many a summer day fishing and floating on rafts on the Miramichi River and exploring the farm and the old sawmill. The size of the saw dust pile they played on grew to legendary heights as he told his children about it many years later. He loved horses and his Grandfather Hovey taught him how to drive them raking and hauling hay, pulling rocks out of the fields and hauling pulp out of the woods.
In 1944 Harold immigrated with his parents and sister to the United States, initially East Corinth, Maine and then to Houlton, Maine in 1946 when his Dad accepted the pastorate of the Military Street Baptist Church. He started work early in life and as a teenager had a variety of jobs; working as a bowling alley pin boy (even into his 80s he was a good bowler), picking potatoes during the annual harvest in northern Maine, a hotel bellhop and a clerk at the A&P grocery store. It was a different era and he and his friends regularly hitch hiked to Bangor and back and once he hitch hiked all the way to Norwich, Connecticut. Harold was a 1952 graduate of Houlton High School where he was a member of the Track Team, played JV Basketball and was active in several school clubs and organizations. Later in life, after being called to the Christian Ministry he studied with the Seminary Extension Education Division of the Southern Baptist Convention earning a Diploma in Pastoral Ministry and later the Advanced Diploma in Pastoral Ministry.
On June 24, 1952, Harold married Wilma June Elliott of Littleton, the love of his life, who he had met at a Baptist Youth Fellowship meeting. They were married for 62 years. He went to work full time for the A&P in Houlton and then in 1953 Harold was called up to serve with the U.S. Army. At Fort Gordon in Georgia, he completed basic training and was assigned to a Signal Corps school to be trained as a high-speed radio operator. When the Korean War ended, his orders were changed and instead of going to Korea upon completion of Signal Corps school he was assigned to the 321st Signal Battalion with the VII US Army Corp at Moehringen near Stuttgart, West Germany. His daughter Valerie was born while he was stationed in West Germany. While serving with the US Army in Europe he also had opportunities to travel to Italy, Switzerland and Casablanca in French Morocco (North Africa). He was honorably discharged from active duty in 1955 with the rank of Corporal and in 1961 was honorably discharged from the Army Reserves.
It was in Germany that Harold met and joined a chapel group in Stuttgart which he described as wonderful born-again people. Some were career Army men who had their wives with them and others were like Harold having been drafted. They had Bible studies in the barracks, were active in different chapel programs and went on many outings together. It was through their influence that Harold dedicated his life to the Lord. He had been saved at age 12 and baptized, but it was in Germany, far from home that he fully dedicated his life to the Lord and in his own words; "I have tried with the enablement of the Holy Spirit to live for him to the best of my ability".
Shortly after being discharged from the Army, Harold was asked by his Dad to fill his pulpit one Sunday while he was on vacation. Harold prepared a sermon and with some nervousness stepped into the pulpit of the Blaine Baptist Church. He discovered he enjoyed the experience and felt the call to preach the gospel. Over the next 21 years he followed this calling as an active lay Pastor in northern and central Maine including serving as Interim Pastor in the late 1950s of the Hodgdon and Cary Baptist Churches and serving as Pastor of the Amity Baptist Church in 1960-1963 and again in 1966-1967, in addition to his career with the A&P.
In Sept. 1955, Harold was naturalized as a citizen of the United States of America. He returned to working for the A&P in Houlton and in 1963 was promoted to Manager. From 1963-1976 he managed A&P grocery stores in Caribou, Houlton, Waterville and Augusta. For many years he was an active member of the Military Street Baptist Church in Houlton serving at different times as Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, Sunday School Teacher, Song Leader and Youth Group Leader.
In 1976, Harold felt that the Lord was calling him to be a full time Minister. He resigned from the A&P and accepted the Pastorate of the Owls Head Baptist Church where he served as Pastor from 1976-1987. During his years in Owls Head, he was pleased that God bless the church by growing its congregation to the point the church needed to be expanded to accommodate the growing congregation. In 1978 he was ordained by the American Baptist Churches of Maine. From 1987-1997 he served as Pastor of the Winter Street Baptist Church in Gardiner. Harold felt blessed that he had the opportunity to be a Minister, following in the footsteps of his father, Harold W. Carpenter, his grandfather, W. Emerson Carpenter and his great-grandfather, Daniel S. Carpenter, all Baptist Minsters.
Harold enjoyed being a Dad, spending countless hours playing board games with his children, sledding, teaching his daughter to skip rope, playing catch, and shooting baskets with his sons and teaching each of his children how to ride a bike, ice skate and swim. He attended almost every concert, parade, basketball game and baseball game his children were in. Most summers consisted of family camping trips and a trip to Fenway Park in Boston to see a Red Sox game.
In 1998 Harold and Wilma retired to Rockland where they enjoyed many years of retirement. In 2000, Harold was deeply honored to be named Pastor Emeritus of the Owls Head Baptist Church. During his retirement years he enjoyed a Pulpit supply Ministry, including serving as Interim Pastor in 2002 and again in 2004-2005 of the West Rockport Baptist Church. At his passing Harold had preached in 60 plus different churches as both a Pastor and a Pulpit Supply Pastor, many of these churches he preached at several times. In his later years Harold decided to take up writing and among other things wrote his life story for his family; titled; "Parsonage to Parsonage", a fitting title he used to say for someone born in a Baptist Parsonage and who spent over 40 years living in different Parsonages in New Brunswick and Maine.
In 2018, in declining health, Harold relocated to the Island Nursing Home and Care Center in Deer Isle to be closer to his daughter Valerie and son-in-law Rick. He enjoyed participating in the services offered at Island Nursing Home by the local churches. In 2019 he relocated to Sedgwood Commons in Falmouth when his daughter Valerie and son-in-law Rick retired to the Portland area.
Harold is survived by his three children: Valerie J. Messana of Gorham, Elliott R. Carpenter of Glastonbury, CT and Chris D. Carpenter and his wife Mitzi of Suffolk, VA. Other surviving family members include his four grandchildren; David Messana and his wife Michelle of South Portland, Jonathan Messana and his wife Sarah of Portland, Kristin Ciampa and her husband David of Gorham and Zachary Carpenter of Suffolk, VA , as well as his six great -grandchildren; Samuel Messana, Madelyn Messana, Oscar Messana, Jude Messana, Lucy Ciampa and Evangeline Ciampa. Harold is also survived by his sister Mary Evans and her husband Jim of Peoria, IL, his brother-in-law and sister-in-law John and Lucy Elliott of Fort Kent, his sister-in-law Ann Elliott of Houlton as well as several nieces, nephews and extended family members in both the USA and Canada.
Harold enjoyed spending time with his family, the fellowship of his church, gardening, reading, cross word puzzles and was an avid sports fan, particularly of the Boston Red Sox. He was also proud of his Canadian heritage. Friends and relatives are invited to visit from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Thursday, September 9, 2021, at the Owls Head Baptist Church. A Celebration of Harold's life will follow, the Reverend Paul Munro will officiate. Facemasks will be required for those not vaccinated against COVID-19. For those unable to attend in person, a live-stream of Rev. Carpenter's service will be available on his book of memories at www.bchfh.com. Please follow the link under Photos & Videos Tab then Watch Webcast.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Harold Carpenter's name to American Baptist Churches of Maine (Missions Fund), P.O. Box, 617, Augusta, Maine 04332, attention Melissa Dennett, Missions Bookkeeper.2d:{"dateTime":"2021-09-