HOULTON, Maine — A Baileyville man made the 81-mile trek north to Houlton Wednesday, Dec. 19, to place a pair of wreaths on his parents’ tombstone.
Matthew Downing said he wanted to do something special to remember his parents this year for the holidays so he grabbed a shovel and a couple of extra wreaths he was given and headed north to the Shiretown.
His mother, Lois Irene (Phelan) Downing, died Sept. 7, 2017 at the age of 94. Lois worked for several years at the Houlton Pioneer Times, and upon retirement, continued as a correspondent writing columns — “Ricker Rumblings,” “TOPS” and “Houlton Council of Catholic Women.”
His father, Dr. Milton Downing, was a well-known and respected physician in the Houlton area for many years. Dr. Downing was one of the key fund-raisers for the Southern Aroostook Association of Retarded Children, which today goes by the name Community Living Association. Dr. Downing died Sept. 1, 1986, at the age of 69.
Matthew Downing explained that he does some occasional work for Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine, which is owned by Morrill Worcester who founded the Wreaths Across America in 2005. Worcester first began placing wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery in 1992.
Matthew said he was given a couple of extra wreaths and he immediately knew the perfect location for them. Finding his parents’ grave marker was no easy task, given that the St. Mary Catholic Cemetery, located on Smyrna Street had nearly a foot of snow covering the ground.
“This was just something I felt like I had to do,” Matthew Downing said. “I think they would like it.”
