WOODSTOCK – Robert Hartson Day Sr. of Woodstock, died March 5 in Woodstock.
He was the son of Ernest and Lura Swett Day. He was born in Bethel on Nov. 13, 1919, and graduated from Woodstock High School in 1937. He played drums in the high school band and worked at the mill in Locke Mills before going to the University of Maine at Orono, where he played in the ROTC band.
He worked as a milk tester and was a member of the Bryant Pond Baptist Church and the Franklin Grange.
He was inducted into the military on March 24, 1942, and served until Oct. 21, 1945, serving two years and eight months in foreign service, after receiving basic training at Fort Eustis, Va. Because of his reserve officer training, he was offered officers’ training but refused it. He then went to Georgia and was chosen to drive a truck towing a searchlight for the Army War Show. He showed in Baltimore, Chicago, Omaha, Texas and Georgia with many cities in between. He debarked on Feb. 8, 1943, for North Africa, Corsica, France and Germany.
He came back on the high point system. He then married Wilma Poland, daughter of Charles and Edith Buck Poland, Sept. 14, 1946. He returned to the University of Maine for his senior year and earned a bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry.
He worked for a year managing the Sawyer Farm in Greene. He came back to the homestead and went to work at the Oxford Mill. He left the mill and started his own dairy farm. He then became the representative for Eastern States Grain Co. He opened his own farm and garden store, which later became the Agway Store in Rumford. After 30 years, he sold the store and retired. The last years of his life were spent enjoying his grandchildren and watching them play sports.
He served on the SAD 44 school board from 1969 to 1970, 1974 and 1975, serving on several committees.
He is survived by his wife, Wilma; one son, Robert Day Jr.; daughter, Kathryn Day Hurd; four grandchildren, Kristie Day Hutchins, Andrew Lee Day, Nathan Alan Hurd and Brenda Mae Hurd; three great-grandchildren, Abigail Leigh Hutchins, Brooke Elizabeth Hutchins and Caiden Benjamin Hutchins; and a brother, Leroy Day of Woodstock.
He was predeceased by two sisters, Diana Forsyth and Daisy LeClair.
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