AUBURN – Our mother, Gaetane Theolane (Vachon) David died of congestive heart failure on Wednesday, July 20, at her home, 2500 Hotel Road, with her family by her side.

Born in Lewiston July 28, 1917, she was the thirteenth child of Napoleon Vachon and Sarah Vallee. She was educated in the Lewiston school system.

On May 23, 1936, she married Wilfred Gideon David, who died on June 16, 1991, at 92.

In the early years, Mrs. David was employed by Auburn Novelty on Hotel Road. She also worked for New Era at the Auburn airport and worked for a number of years for the local shoe industry. For more than 25 years, she was the caterer for the Leon Michaud Auction House in Danville Junction. Gaetane and Wilfred were well-known for their delicious hotdogs and brownies, their ability to make friends, and for their sense of humor.

Mrs. David was a lifelong member of Sacred Heart Church, Auburn.

She was a wonderful cook, and friends were always asking what ingredients she used to get such wonderful tastes for her homemade breads, custard pies, meat pies and French-style white baked beans.

She and her husband loved to travel to Florida to visit friends and their granddaughters, Lisa and Paula.

She was a woman of keen intellect and a voracious reader. She could converse with intelligence and humor with people of all educational levels. There wasn’t anything she wasn’t interested in, and she had a way of looking at you with her bright blue eyes that made you feel that you were the most important person on earth and to her, you were. It was often said by all who knew and loved her that she didn’t suffer fools gladly.

She had 17 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren. She loved each and every one of them dearly. It was a common event to be visiting with Gaetane, and she would have to interrupt your visit to answer one of the many calls from her grandchildren in Florida, Colorado, Texas or Maine.

Survivors include her eldest daughter, Irene and her husband, Lucian (Lefty) Thibault, of Orrs Island, daughter, Jeanne David of Auburn, son, Leo M. David and his wife, Martha, of Minot, and son, Norman R.D. David and his wife, Deborah, of Otisfield, all of Maine.

She will be dearly missed by lifelong friends, Mrs. Marie Gagnon, Mrs. Carmen Larue, and Mrs. Eva Morin; and her friends at the Auburn Golden Age Club, too numerous to mention.

She was predeceased by her parents; all of her siblings; and her beloved husband.