1923 – 2003

LEWISTON – Rena Turmenne Doucet, 79, a resident of Oxford and formerly of Lewiston, passed on to be with the Lord on Wednesday, June 25, at d’Youville Pavilion.

Born Rena Evangeline McPherson at St. John, Sept. 10, 1923, the daughter of Dennis and Alice (Gamache) McPherson, she attended local schools and worked all of her life.

During World War II she worked as a welder on the Liberty ships in the South Portland shipyard, where she met her first husband, Lucien T. Turmenne of Lewiston. Upon marrying in Old Orchard Beach, she settled in Lewiston. She worked in local shoe shops, raised two sons and helped them through college.

Widowed at age 44, she was remarried in 1976 to John Paul Doucet of Lewiston. They moved to Milford, Mass., where Mr. Doucet worked at General Motors. Upon retiring in 1983, they made their home on Thompson Lake in Oxford in the cottage she and her first husband built.

She was well liked by all her neighbors on Pine Point. She was always a kind and generous person and loved animals, taking in stray cats and one dog. She enjoyed cooking, sewing and yard work. She will be greatly missed and will be remembered as a devoted wife and mother.

Survivors include her two sons, Robert L. Turmenne and his wife, Pauline of Plymouth, Mass., and Bruce D. Turmenne and his wife, Anita of Auburn; five grandchildren, Derek R. Turmenne of Port Ritchey, Fla., Wade T. Turmenne and his wife, Theresa of Jamestown, N.C., Sara A. Ellingwood and her husband, Brady of Auburn, Elise J. Sullivan and her husband, Jeffrey of Quincy, Mass., and Judith M. Turmenne of Auburn and her fiancé, Jonathan Bausman of Wilmington, N.Y.; three great-grandsons, Alexandre, Dominique and Joshua Turmenne; four sisters, Louella Berube of Sanford, Rita Sherman and her husband, Charles of Old Orchard Beach, Theresa Tully of Jamaica Plain, Mass., and Mary Bender of Long Beach, Calif.; one brother, Roger McPherson and his wife, Madeline of Old Orchard Beach; one sister-in-law, Marlene McPherson of Lyman; and many friend and neighbors.

She was predeceased by her two husbands; and one brother, Elmer McPherson of Lyman.



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