WASHBURN NEWS
by Christie Cochran
On Sunday, Feb. 13, there will be Valentine’s Bingo held at the American Legion in Caribou at 6:30 p.m., with funds going toward Washburn’s Project Graduation festivities.
The Class of 2011 is selling tickets for a basketball tournament package that includes one night at the Comfort Inn in Bangor, two tickets for free admittance to all of the games on Monday, Feb. 21, and a $40 gift certificate to the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Bangor. Raffle tickets are selling for $5 each and can be purchased at any home game or by contacting Angela Farley at 455-8048.
Washburn seniors have cancelled plans for “pizza delivery service” on Friday, Feb. 11, through the Washburn Food Mart. The boys will have their last basketball game on that night in Easton and most of the seniors will be going to that. No plans have been made to hold the delivery another time.
Birthdays/anniversaries
Those celebrating birthdays this week include: Emily Fuller, Rodney drake, Lyman Sperrey, Jennifer Tupper, Kyle Grooms Fred Maynard, Steve Kenner, Tom Archer, Jordan McLaughlin, Valerie Flood, Gene King, Sue Tarbox, Mitchell Wilcox, Jamie Tarbox, Doug Conroy, Michaela Levesque, Candy Pangburn, Freeman Corey, Tyler O’Donnell, Brandon Gresham, Bruce Jacobs, Trina Wilcox and Tara Spaams.
Special anniversary wishes go out to: Bruce and Sally Blakney, Paul and Diane DuMont, Jamey and Charity Hebert, Bill and Judy Belk, Brian and Pam Morris, and Stan and Debbie Smith.
Town-wide notes
The next scheduled meeting of the Washburn Town Council will be held on Monday, Feb. 14, at the Washburn Civic Center at 7 p.m. All interested residents are urged to attend.
Looking ahead, the Washburn municipal election will be held on Monday, March 21, with the polls at the Washburn Civic Center open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The annual Town Meeting will follow on Tuesday, March 22, at the high school starting at 7 p.m.
Fund-raising events
There will be a special fund-raising dinner held to support the general fund of the Cornerstone Christian Academy on Friday, Feb. 11, at the Presque Isle Wesleyan Church starting at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for children or a family for $25. The menu will include the full array of pasta, rolls, salad, dessert and drink. There will be a silent Dessert Auction as well, and a special presentation on the school and building process. The meal will be a “come and go as you please” atmosphere and all are welcome to this food, fellowship and fund-raising fun event. For further information, contact Troy Heald at: theald@cornerstoneme.com or 227-2392 or phone the school at 768-6222.
Bottle donations for “Destiny’s Voice” and Project Graduation are still being taken at the Washburn Redemption Center. Donations for Destiny’s Voice are also being taken at Plummer’s Redemption on the Parsons Road in Presque Isle. Other Destiny’s Voice fund-raising efforts include the new bank account set up for Destiny Theriault at both Caribou and Presque Isle branches of TDBank.
One special event was held recently at the Lidstone Memorial Methodist Church. Both the Washburn and Mapleton Youth groups held a supper to raise money for a trip this coming summer. When all was said and done, the young people involved approached their leaders and decided to give a portion of the evening’s proceeds to help with the Destiny’s Voice project. They considered this to be a part of their learning experiences in missions, making this a “home mission” effort. They certainly are a special group of young people.
There are plans in the works for a fund-raising dinner to be held at the Washburn Trail Runners Clubhouse on Saturday, April 9. There will be more details forthcoming.
Remembering Washburn’s history
The following is some family genealogy submitted by Wade resident Gwen (Churchill) McBurnie.
Nathaniel Churchill, the son of Nathaniel and Eunice (Kinney) Churchill was born in Wakefield, New Brunswick, May 9, 1799. He then lived in Andover, N.B., and in 1822 he came up the Aroostook River to what we know today as Stratton Island and built a camp. He spent the summer there, then returned to Andover, N.B. He married Jerushia Freeman on July 30, 1822. In late 1824 he, his wife and baby son Job Churchill came from Jacksontown, above Woodstock, N.B., to Presque Isle. From there they proceeded up the river to what we know today as Stratton Island, near the mouth of Salmon Brook.
Much of the way, Mrs. Churchill walked along the shore carrying the baby, and they arrived at the Island and their flat-roofed camp a little after dark. Within the sheltering walls of the camp there is little doubt but that they felt happy and contented. They lived there, or some say he built a larger camp on Stratton Flats where they stayed until Jerushia died in 1833.
The family had six children when Jerushia died: Job, Nathaniel, Mary, Elizabeth, Eunice and Samuel. The children and their father took Jerushia’s body back to Canada for burial, traveling in two canoes. On the way, the canoe carrying her body capsized, but they were able to retrieve the body and proceed on their way.
Nathaniel then married Melinda Hoyt of Bear Island which was near St. John, N.B., and in 1839 they returned to Washburn, where he settled at the foot of Churchill Hill this time. He and Melinda had five children: Christian Freeman who was known as C.F., George, Prudence, Asenath and Joseph.
Nathaniel, Melinda, George, Prudence and Asenath are buried in the Pioneer Cemetery on the Parson Road near Camp Nomacca. Nathaniel was the first burial in that cemetery, supposedly in the very center of the grounds. The stones have been moved and there is no map of the cemetery that has been found.
Gwen Churchill McBurnie is 79 years old and was born and has lived in Wade most of her life. Nathaniel was her great-great-grandfather and Job was her great-grandfather. His brother was the primary ancestor of the Fort Fairfield Churchills; and there aren’t many of their family left in Washburn.
Among the wedding photos, a very special picture was taken during the wedding of Dale and Anna McCarty on Friday, Dec. 31. It is the four generations of the Bouchard family. This little one makes Patricia (Bouchard) Dyer a grandmother for the first time, and the family matriarch, Norma Bouchard, now has 10 grandchildren and nine grandchildren. She resides in Caribou with her husband, Carroll St. Peter.
Library ‘bookmarks’
The Washburn Memorial Library will present a special Valentine’s Day Story Time on Monday, Feb. 14, from 5:30 until 7 p.m. The following books will be read: “Bloom A Little Book About Finding Love,” “Love, Splat” and “Everyone Says I Love You.”
Light refreshments will be served, and children from ages 2 to 10 are encouraged to attend.
An enlarging family
The home of Alton and Carol Tilley has recently adopted their special 7-month-old granddaughter, Destiny Rose Despard. She joins another of the Tilley family’s adopted grandsons, 4-and-a-half-year-old Gabriel Despard. The oldest of their grandchildren, 14-year-old Stacy Landry, is also a part of the Tilley home, and all are enjoying the arrival of the new baby.
Rec Center schedule
On Wednesday, Feb. 9, there will be cross country skiing from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. and Zumba will be at the elementary school from 6 to 7 p.m.
On Thursday, Feb. 10, there will be a grades 4-6 girls’ basketball game at Fort Fairfield at 4:15 p.m.
On Friday, Feb. 11, there will be a movie at the Rec Center for grades K-4 from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Feb. 12, there will be round robin basketball for girls in grades 4-5 at Fort Fairfield.
On Monday, Feb. 14, there will be cross country skiing from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. and Zumba will be held at the elementary school from 6 yo7 p.m. Also on Monday, there will be men’s basketball at the high school from 7 to 9 p.m.
Christie Cochran is the correspondent for Washburn, Wade and Perham. She can be reached at 455-8034 or gramchristie@yahoo.com.
