LIMESTONE, Maine — Kathleen Dorothy Brinkman, age 95, died January 19, 2017, in Lakeland, FL, after a short illness. Kathleen, known to her family as Dean, was the 12th of 15 children of Ivory “Tim” Harmon and Priscilla Emily Monteith, born on the family farm along Little Madawaska River in Caribou, ME, August 30, 1921.
Kathleen led an active childhood, occasionally getting in trouble for stunts such as riding the cows when she and her siblings had to drive them to the “crick” to drink. In 1937, she earned her first store-bought dress by babysitting “someone’s brats” all summer. She attended Madawaska Road Grammar School and Caribou High School. Due to the disability now known as dyslexia, she lacked one English credit to graduate with her class in 1940. When she discovered the cause of her difficulty was not a lack of intelligence, she attended adult education and graduated from Caribou High School in 1983, aged 61.
Kathleen married Clarence “Bun” Brinkman July 19, 1940, and moved into the Brinkman family home in Limestone. The kettle was always on the boil, and she would find the time to sit down with a visitor for a hot cup of tea and some of her fine baked goods. “Boughten” baked goods were virtually unknown in Kathleen’s household, and looked upon by all as inferior substitutes. She learned the fine art of baking from her mother, and anyone who ever tasted her pies, molasses cookies, biscuits, donuts, or bread (known as Grammie Bread to her appreciative grandchildren) wanted more. Priscilla also taught Kathleen to harvest and preserve wild greens, herbs, fruits, and garden vegetables in season to serve throughout the year. Kathleen taught these skills to her children and grandchildren, establishing a living legacy.
Kathleen never stopped working to provide for the family she loved with all her heart. When she sat down after supper with a boiling hot cup of tea, she would knit, crochet, sew, or tat. Kathleen worked in the Limestone School System for 37 years, from 1957 through 1994, where her fellow food service workers knew her as Kay. After work, she cut seed potatoes in the spring, and often worked in the fields during the harvest.
After she retired, Kathleen moved to Florida to live with her son, John and his wife, Christine. They traveled Europe and the US together. She joined the Red Hats and had many good times with her friends. She remained active and in full possession of her faculties until her final illness.
Surviving are her children, Herbert and companion, Debbie Neal, John’s widow, Christine, Mary Saunders and husband, Donald, James and wife, Trudy, and Donna Twombly and husband, Bruce. She is also survived by 17 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. Kathleen was predeceased by her husband, Clarence; their son, John and his son, Michael; her parents; and all her siblings, Edgar, George, Madelyn Longo, Etta Pearl Beveridge, Roscoe, Frank, Maud Nadeau, John, Mabel Doody, Grover, Katherine, Edward, Archibald and Brydon.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. May 27, 2017, at the Advent Church in Limestone, ME, followed by interment at the Advent Cemetery. The church hall will be open at 10 a.m. for visiting, and for a reception immediately following the interment service.
Three words that sum up Kathleen’s life are love, laughter and duty; her family and friends were the happy recipients of all the gifts she had to offer. Online condolences may be expressed at www.duncan-graves.com.
