Pearl Fuller Obituary (1929 - 2023)

Albion: We are sad to announce the passing of our mother, Pearl Irene Rood Fuller. Mom passed peacefully at the age of 93 on March 19, 2023, at Lakewood Continuing Care Center in Waterville, just 3 weeks shy of her 94th birthday. She was born in Benton Falls, Maine, the fifth child of nine born to the late Robert H. and Elvira Goodale Rood. She enjoyed being part of a large family and admired her mother for keeping the children in line - most of the time! She was proud of graduating eighth grade at the East Vassalboro Grammar School. In 1943 the family moved to a home on the Benton Road in Albion, and Mom entered Besse High as a freshman. There she met our dad, Carleton "Dutchie" Fuller, who was into everything sports related. She was a cheerleader at many of his games. During summers Mom worked at Willow Beach Camps in China along with several of her sisters and friends. Mom graduated in 1947 and entered a two-year secretarial science program at Thomas Business College. Upon graduation in 1949 she started working for the Waterville Morning Sentinel. Mom and Dad were married April 25, 1950, on the 25th wedding anniversary of his parents, in a candlelight ceremony at the Albion Christian Church. They lived in Waterville for a short time before moving back to Albion to start a family and buy a home. Their first child, Stephen Carleton, was born in 1952; David Mahlon in 1956, and Bettie Jane in 1959. After leaving the newspaper, Mom worked for several Superintendents of Albion Schools, and when Albion consolidated with area towns, she worked for the Superintendent of SAD #49. She took a short break from working and then became a teacher's aide at the Albion Elementary School where she enjoyed guiding and caring for the students she supervised. When our Grandfather Fuller passed away in 1970, we moved to the farm where Mom did all the bookkeeping for the business of the farm, worked in the broiler house, tended a large vegetable garden, and helped out in other areas when needed. She was a very active woman! She was also known for her cooking and baking skills, especially her yeast rolls and sweet treats. Mom made many life-time friends in Albion and was involved in a variety of community organizations, both as a member and officer, including PTA, Rebekahs, Fireman's Auxillary, Extension, Fairfax Club, Grange, and Red Hatters. For many years she belonged to a bowling league and was a fierce competitor! Playing cards, cribbage, Uno, Yahtze, and other games with friends and family, especially grandchildren and great-grandchildren, brought her much joy. During retirement, she and Dad went on bus tours and cruises with friends and family and spent many a Saturday night cutting the rug at dances. After Dad passed away, Mom traveled to Italy with her sister and husband, Hattie and Roddy, and spent multiple winters with Aunt Hattie in Florida, Arizona, and California. Mom was a woman of faith and for many years went to the Albion Christian Church. In later years, she enjoyed visiting China Baptist and Getchell Street Baptist churches with Aunt Hattie and their cousin, Sharon Norton. The last church she attended was the Winslow Baptist Church where she was baptized (for the second time) and became a member. In 1989 Mom and Dad donated land to Albion for the creation of ball fields for the town's youth. Fuller Fields is their legacy and a demonstration of their love and hope for their hometown. After living in Winslow for several years, in 2019 Mom entered assisted living at Redington Memorial Home in Skowhegan. In 2020 she moved to the Cedar Ridge Center in Skowhegan, and in 2021 she moved to Lakewood in Waterville. Mom was predeceased by her parents, her husband, her sisters Hilda Pease (Emery), Bernice Bagley (Ronald), and Hattie Robinson (Roderick); her brothers Harold (Jennie), Herman (Hazel), Ernest (Rosalie), Arthur (Laura); her brother-in-law Ben Bolin, and her son-in-law Brent Varney. She is survived by her children Stephen (Bradley Jordan) of Wells, David and wife Debra of Albion and FL; Bettie (Randy Hartt) of Vassalboro; her grandchildren April Paul and her husband Kenneth of Clinton, Christopher Fuller of Winslow, and Nuria Ramos of Eliot; her great-grandchildren Cassandra Paul and Draiden Mason; her sister Ellen Bolin of FL, and many nieces and nephews. We want to thank the staff at Lakewood and Northern Light Hospice for their care during Mom’s final years. A graveside service will be held May 20, 2023, at 1:00 in the Number 4 Cemetery in Albion. Donations may be made in Pearl's memory to the Albion Athletic Association, 195 China Road, Albion, ME 04910 C/O Chuck Roy, or to a charity of your choice. Click this link to view additional details about Pearl's Services, including any available live streams: https://my.gather.app/remember/pearl-fuller