LEWISTON – Aurora (Aurore) Plourde Cornish, 89, died peacefully early Monday morning, Aug. 13, at Montello Manor, with her family by her side.

She was born Aug. 11, 1918, to Arthur Plourde and Cedelice Dufour Plourde, in Saint Alexis-de-Matapedia, Quebec, Canada, coming to Lewiston with her parents on July 10, 1922. She was the eldest of 17 children and was like a second mother to many of her siblings.

Aurora, throughout her life, was known for her patience and her gentle kind character. She lovingly took care of her parents during their last years.

She was a talented knitter, crocheter and seamstress, and enjoyed making many beautiful things for her daughter and grandchildren. She took pleasure in caring for blooming plants that thrived in her sunny living room and enjoyed summer days sitting on her porch with more pots and baskets of flowers around her.

Her early education was in Lewiston schools and in Towson, Md., where she graduated from nurses’ training in 1938. As a nurse, she was employed at Central Maine General Hospital, (now C.M.M.C.), Western Maine Sanatorium, in Hebron, and from 1959 to 1981, at Bates College as a student health nurse. She was a member of Holy Cross Parish.

She is survived by her daughter, Linda Cornish Rioux of Old Orchard Beach; two devoted grandchildren, Lisa Joy Rioux Delhomme of Houston, Texas, and Kevin Sean Rioux of Queens, N.Y.; and three great-grandchildren, Lauren, Luke and Leslie Delhomme, all of Houston Texas. She is also survived by her sisters, Marie, Rolande, Germaine and Dorothy; and her brothers, Roger, Gerard, Richard, Raymond and Maurice.

She was predeceased by brothers, Lucien, Fernand, Marcel and Florien; and sisters, Janet, Anita and Dolores.

A special note of gratitude is owed her brother, Roger and his wife, Dot; her sister, Marie, and her sister, Dottie and fiancé, Raymond Strunk, for their helpful support and thoughtfulness these past years. Thank you also to the kind staff of Montello Heights and to the special caregivers at the Lamp and Montello Manor.