1910 – 2004

KINGFIELD – Christie Vining Pingree, 93, of Strong, passed away on Feb. 10, at the home of Sewall and Cathy Pingree of Kingfield supported by her loving family.

She was born in Strong, March 21, 1910, the daughter of Leslie and Ella Vining.

She graduated from Strong High School in the class of 1928, and from Farmington Normal School (now UMF) in 1932.

During high school she participated in many extracurricular activities including speech and drama. When she was 13 she started playing the piano for the silent movies at the Strong Grange Hall and continued to do so until the talking movies opened in Farmington in 1927.

At about the same time she began playing the organ in church weddings, and played for nearly 200 weddings until she stopped in the fall of 1983.

After graduation she began teaching at Kennedy Corner School in Jay, then she taught two years at Brownville Junction. She returned to Strong to work two years in the post office, and then resumed teaching in Newport where she met and married Reginald S. Pingree in 1935. Together they lived and worked in Augusta, Bath and South Gardiner before moving to Strong in the fall of 1944.

She became well known and fondly remembered during her teaching career in Strong and New Vineyard which spanned a total of 25 full years. She was strict but fair, and quickly earned the respect of her students by encouraging all of them to work hard to reach their full potential, all the while never showing favoritism to any one group or individual. Many of her former students came to visit her over the years or kept in touch by phone or mail. She loved to hear from them all

She had a strong and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. She was a life long member of the Strong Methodist Church. She sang in the choir, played the organ as needed and was active in the United Methodist Women’s group.

She always emphasized the good in people and encouraged others to do the same.

She was a life long member of Oppalunski Chapter of the Eastern Star, and served on the Strong Cemetery Association. She was an advisor to the Strong Historical Society arid spent many long hours on research and composition.

She helped organize the Strong High School Alumni Association and was a charter member of the local woman’s association which became the driving force to raise money to fund the construction of’ Strong High School in 1951, with a relatively small town indebtedness.

Most of all, she was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and will be greatly missed by her children, Clyde and his wife Marie Pingree of South Paris, Judith Pingree Luce of Farmington and Sewall and his wife Cathy Pingree of Kingfield; grandchildren, Jill Dew of St. Thomas, V.I., Clyde II and his wife Judy Pingree of East Wilton and their children, Jacqui, Jacob, Hazen and Clyde III, Michael Pingree of Auburn, Catherine Pingree and her son Adam of Poland, Regan Pingree and his son Brady of Phillips, Sterling and Amanda Pingree of Kingfield, Dale Luce and his children, Colton and Jamie Luce Sturgis and husband Stanley and their children Stanley Jr. and Mariah all of Belfast, James Luce of Belfast, Janna Luce Dougherty and husband Dennis and their children, Ben and Janden of Searsmont, Andrea Fenwick and husband Tellis Jr. and their children, Chad, Brett and Hailey Dawn of Kingfield, Craig Toothaker and his wife Deborah of Melbourne, Fla., and their children, Brandon and Nicole, and Kristin Draper of Yarmouth.

She was predeceased by her brother, Clyde; and her daughter, Dawn Pingree Draper who died Feb. 6, 1999.

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