Charette, Rella Dubois, 86, died February 16, 2007 at Cary Memorial Hospital, Caribou. Arrangements are in the care of Duncan-Graves Funeral Home, Presque Isle.
PRESQUE ISLE and FORT KENT, MAINE – Rella, age 86, wife of the late Patrick Charette, died February 16 at Cary Memorial Hospital in Caribou surrounded by her loving children after a brief illness. She was born July 14, 1920 in Fort Kent, Maine to the late Joseph A. and Catherine (Paradis) Dubois.
Rella married the love of her life, Patrick Charette, in 1941. Together they raised seven children. She followed him from Fort Kent to Frenchville to Fort Fairfield and then settled in Presque Isle, wherever there was work. She’d paint and clean and decorate and always made a loving comfortable home for her family. She worked her finger to the bones in the potato fields every fall during harvest and every spring, cutting seed. Rella was not afraid of hard work. As most of her children grew and left her nest, she decided to make a career for herself and went into retail, working for the Zayre Department Store. She thoroughly enjoyed her new-found experience and made many, many good friends there with her co-workers and customers. Rella was very easy to make friends with. Even though she was very shy and timid, she had such a kind and gentle soul. She loved everybody and everybody loved her. She also enjoyed traveling, especially to visit her married, out-of-state children and was an avid bingo player.
Rella was predeceased by her loving husband, Patrick in 1981 after only 40 years of marriage. Oh, what a glorious reunion for her now!!
Surviving her are her seven children and their spouses: Kathleen and Ron Madore of Caswell, Patsy and Al Berube of Presque Isle, Rena and Al Miller of
Mississippi and CT, Thelma and Bob Damp- housse of Salem, New Hampshire, Patrick and Barbara Charette of Caribou, Ronald and Elaine Charette of Monroe, CT, and Wayne Charette of Concord, New Hampshire. She is also survived by three brothers: Philip Dubois of Fort Kent, Reginald Dubois of Pittsfield, and Herbie Dubois of Southington, CT; seventeen grandchildren; twenty-five great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Besiders her husband, she was recently predeceased by a beautiful granddaughter, Deana J. (Charette) Spyker; three brothers: Rene, Rosarie, and Alphy Dubois and three sisters: Isabelle Bouchard, Lea Desjardins, and Amelia Lajoie.
Friends called from 2-4 and 6-8 P.M. Sunday, February 18, 2007 at the Duncan-Graves Funeral Home, 30 Church St., Presque Isle. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated 10 A.M. Monday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with Rev. Raymond Morency celebrant. Interment will take place in the spring at Fairmount Cemetery, Presque Isle. Following the Mass there was a reception at the Knights of Columbus. Those who wish may make donations in Rella’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association (Maine Chapter, 163 Lancaster St., Suite 160B, Portland, ME 04101). Arrangements are in the care of Duncan-Graves Funeral Home.
