LEWISTON – Dorothy Merrill Souther, 82, of the Souther Road, Livermore Falls, died peacefully Tuesday, Oct. 16, at Central Maine Medical Center, with her loving granddaughter, Becky at her side.

She was born July 10, 1925, in North Jay, a daughter of Arthur and Gertrude (Mosher) Wilkins. In 1943, she graduated from Jay High School. Her early employment was with Bath Iron Works during World War II.

In 1946, she married Richard Merrill. They resided in North Jay until 1970, when they moved to East Livermore. They opened their hearts and home to many over the years. He died in 1992.

In 1996, she married Harold Souther and shared her love with his family. Dot was a gift to all who knew and loved her, touching many lives with her 20 years of employment with Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice, retiring in 1997.

A woman of great faith, she will be missed by her church families of the Eaton Memorial United Methodist Church and First Baptist Church of Livermore Falls.

She enjoyed many things and took pride in her cooking, gardening and all aspects of being a farmer’s wife. She adored the new farm dog, “Pal.”

She will always be remembered as a very unselfish, loving, caring wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. Her greatest joy was “all about her family.”

She is survived by her loving husband, Harold Souther of Livermore Falls; children, Lori Mills of Livermore Falls, Jeffery Merrill and his wife, Kathy, of East Livermore and Florence “Flossie” Bryant of Fayette; 18 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her parents; first husband; a son, Brent Merrill in 1985; and siblings, Lelia Holman, Methyl Brown, Ruth Burhoe, Norma Coolidge and Oscar Wilkins.