TOPSHAM – Elizabeth Ruel Turgeon, 87, died Monday, June 19, after a long period of needing to live in nursing facilities. With her death, she has joined her husband of 62 years, Roland P. Turgeon Sr. whom we all lost in April 2004, and her son, Donald, who died at the age of 21 in 1969. Also waiting for her are her parents, Ovide and Clara Ruel and 11 brothers and sisters. She is survived and will be deeply missed by her two remaining sisters, Rita Napert of Florida and Mariette Turgeon of Auburn; five children and their spouses, Theresa Turgeon and her partner, Gracia Woodward of Bowdoinham, Madeleine Worjanowski and her husband, Bill, of Bristol, Conn., Roland P Turgeon Jr. of Wilmington, N.C., Ronald Turgeon of Wallingford, Conn. and Judy Ricard and her husband, Rick, of Bristol, Conn.; six grandchildren, Jennifer Worjanowski, Katie Turgeon Lopez, Cheryl Harris, Trevor LaVergne, Ruel Woodward and Paul Woodward; and four great-grandchildren, Ben and Jack Harris and Colin and Hannah LaVergne.

Given that she was number 11 in a family of 14 children, the Ruels being a good French Catholic family, there are just too many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews to list here, but you must know that the majority of those younger generations loved Aunt Liz (also known as Tante Zabeth).

“Zabeth,” as she was known by her generation and “Ma” by her children, was born on Jan. 12, 1919, in a very small town in the Province of Quebec. When she was just a year old the family moved to Lewiston and most of the family has been here since.

Liz attended school until the fourth grade, when she left and went to work in the Lewiston textile mills. She met Roland at the Bates Mill and they were married in 1941.

When their children were very young, Roland and Liz tried to start a family grocery store on the corner of Nichols and Vale streets in Lewiston. When that was not successful, they decided there would be more opportunities and a brighter future for the family in Connecticut. Roland moved down and found work. Because of the Korean War, housing was very scarce. Many people had come to Connecticut to work at war industries.

She and the five children spent the next year waiting for Roland to find a house, living in one room rentals in Lewiston. Roland would make the 8-hour trip home to visit the family every other weekend.

Finally, he bought a house but could not get the current tenants to move out – because they, too, had nowhere to go. She set up home in an army surplus tent for a very long hot summer. The kids did not mind “camping” and never really understood how hard it must have been for her.

In the fall they were able to move into their four room house where the seven (soon, eight) of them lived for the next ten years. At one point, her sister Rita, her brother-in-law, and two children joined them for several months. Shortly after the birth of her sixth child, she went to work at the third shift in a local factory.

Later she did laundry and housekeeping in various nursing homes. Caring for her family was always her main work and focus. That family grew to include friends of her children who came to consider her their second mother, and have remained loyal and devoted “adopted” children: Richard and Annette Dalke, Ray and Marta Davila, Linda and Ron Ferguson, Toni and Lee Preble, and Piji Wynkoop.

All her life, she did what needed to be done, did not complain no matter how hard or difficult it was, always had a smile on her face for everyone and always, always, said please and thank you, and you knew she truly meant it.

Following her example the family wants to sincerely thank the staffs of the nursing facilities in which she lived for the past 5 years, especially the staff of 4 East at d’Youville Pavilion in Lewiston, and everyone at Amenity Manor in Topsham, including: office, housekeeping, activities, and dietary staff; and the entire medical staff including the CNAs, nurses, therapists, the medical director and his assistant, who all provided her with love and thoughtful, skilled care. We will always appreciate your love and support, both to her family but especially to our beloved “Ma.”