SHIRLEY RUTH (SHAW) WARMAN, LUDLOW – Our mother, Shirley Ruth (Shaw) Warman, left us on the evening of September 25, 2017. The last year was especially hard for her as she grew tired from her hard-fought battle with dementia and arthritis. It is a sad relief to know that she is again of sound mind and body.
Mom was born in Littleton on March 28, 1925, to Beverly Charles (Bird) Shaw and Amber (Stockford) Shaw. She had many happy memories of living on their farm surrounded by brothers and sisters, as well as friends and cousins who would visit, all joining in on the work and the fun. When she entered Ricker Classical Institute in Houlton, it was too far to commute so she and her sisters had to “board in town.” She told of going home on weekends and returning with her mother’s amazing homemade butter to barter for her room and board. After she graduated from Ricker in 1943, she stayed in Houlton to work. She loved to tell us about working at J.C. Penney and spending time with friends and cousins who were also working in Houlton.
When she met and married Frederic W. Warman in 1948, she gave up her job. They moved to Ludlow to live in a house on the farm of his parents, Percy and Greta Warman, where they raised their family. She was a busy homemaker for many years, and like many of her contemporaries, she did it all – housekeeping, cooking, sewing, canning, jelly making, quilting, working on the farm as needed, etc. She also found time to belong to a number of clubs throughout her life including the Chat-a-While Club and the Know Your Neighbor Club. She served as President of the PTA and was very involved in 4-H as a leader for many years. She loved crafts of all kinds especially knitting, crocheting, quilting and sewing. She loved to exhibit her work at local fairs and craft shows. After she and Daddy accepted Christ as their Savior and were baptized, they became members of the New Limerick Freewill Baptist Church where Mom served her Lord in whatever job needed to be done – helping with Daily Vacation Bible School, cleaning the church, serving as Church secretary, to name a few. When her children were older, she worked as a clerk in several businesses around Houlton.
Mom was predeceased by many family members including her husband Frederic, daughter Joleen Britton, infant grandson Kyle Warman and son-in-law James L. Ross. She was also predeceased by her brothers Theodore and wife Avis Shaw, Milton and wife Dorothy Shaw, and Beverly Hartley Shaw; her sisters Edna and husband Jerry Whyte, Dorothy and husband Eldon Campbell; as well as brothers-in-law Peter Hagerman, George Jeffrey, Michael Henderson and Richard Warman.
She is survived by her children: Cheryl Ross of Weston, Rhonda Cassidy of Falmouth, Kenton and wife Karen of Ludlow, and son-in-law Douglas Britton of Bangor. Surviving grandchildren are Benjamin Ross, Trish Cassidy, Timothy Cassidy, Jason Britton, Jeremy Britton, Kara Warman, and Kimberly Drake. She had four great-granddaughters: Madison, Sadie, Haidyn, and Harper.
Mom also is survived by her sister Marie Hagerman, and sisters-in-law Joyce Shaw, Margaret (and Lawrence) Clark, Lois Jeffrey, Susan Henderson, and Doris (and Gerald) Dickinson. Mom left behind many nephews and nieces as well as great nieces and nephews.
After her funeral on September 29, 2017, officiated at Dunn Funeral Home by Pastor David Tuttle, Mom will rest beside Daddy at the Ludlow Cemetery. Her family wishes to offer heartfelt thanks to the loving staff at Madigan. You are all heroes. Cheryl expresses sincere thanks to her cousin Ross Jeffrey who spent several years helping in the day to day care of his aunt Shirley. He will forever be known as the “pill boy” and the only one who could coax her to take all those medicines each day. Those who wish may make gifts in Shirley’s memory to Retts Syndrome in c/o Dunn Funeral Home, 11 Park St., Houlton, ME 04730. Online condolences and guest book: dunnfuneral.com
