Jeanne E. “Betty” Atwell
1922 – 2009

ELLSWORTH — Jeanne Elizabeth “Betty” Atwell of Yarmouth died Wednesday, Nov. 18, following surgery for a broken leg at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth.

She was born March 26, 1922, in Madison, the daughter of Merle and Beryl (Fletcher) Yeaton. The family moved to Massachusetts shortly thereafter and she was raised in the Framingham-Natick area, graduating from Framingham High School in 1940.

In 1941 she married Stanley R. Atwell.

Soon after World War II, the family moved to Maine, ending up in Farmington, where they raised their family. When the youngest of her four children started school, she went to work at Forster Manufacturing Co., first in Strong and then in Farmington. She later worked at Farmington State Teachers College as secretary to Ermo Scott, the college president. When Scott retired, she transferred to the registrar’s office, where she worked as assistant to the registrar, until she retired in the early 1980s.

Active in the Farmington Methodist Church, she sang in the choir. Later in life she took courses through the University of Maine at Augusta, receiving her associate degree in 1982. After retirement in the 1980s, she moved to the greater Portland area, first to Scarborough and then to Yarmouth. She joined the Tuttle Road United Methodist Church and sang in the choir. She was also an active member of the Royal River Chapter of Sweet Adelines until 2002.

While retired, she frequently made international trips with the University of Maine Farmington Alumni group. She enjoyed painting and regularly took art classes in Farmington and in the Portland area.

She is survived by four children, Stephen W. Atwell and his wife, Kyle, of Yarmouth, Lucille J. Atwell and her partner, Joan Hildreth, of Hancock, Thomas G. Atwell and his wife, Nancy, of Cape Elizabeth and James S. Atwell and his wife, Bonnie, of Falmouth; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband in 1978.

Her family extends its thanks to the staff at Maine Coast Memorial
Hospital for their excellent care, Collier’s Rehab and Nursing Center
of Ellsworth for their care for her and to Ledgeview Assisted Living
facility of Cumberland Foreside for their extraordinary care during the years she lived with them.