Elizabeth Joyce Parlin

1929 – 2010

FARMINGTON — Elizabeth “Libby” (Nile) Parlin passed away Sunday, Feb. 28, at Edgewood Manor, where she had been a residence for several months.

Born July 11, 1929, Libby was the 12th of 13 children of James and Beulah Nile, who owned a farm in Langtown Plantation. She spoke often and fondly of her warm memories of childhood and life on the farm with her brothers and sisters. She recalled the Depression years and how her father moved the family from place to place to find work. They lived in Strong for a few years then moved to Fairbanks, where she attended Farmington schools.

In 1944, she met Ashley Parlin from New Vineyard at a “May basket” party and they were married in February 1945. They lived most of their early married life in Kingfield, where she gave birth to 11 children.

In the early 1960s, “Lib and Ash” started performing their downhome folk and country music for audiences across Maine and New England as ” The Twigsnappers.” They traveled to California, to tape a performance with Jud Strunk for a proposed special with guests Artie Johnson, Hal Holbrook, and Wanda Jackson.

They moved to Granby, Mass., for a few years, but soon found the pace of life there did not suit them and returned to live on a few acres of land on what would come to be known as “Twigsnapper Road” in Farmington. It was not easy feeding, clothing, and educating nine children and when asked about the problems of raising such a large family she would say, “We started this family when we were children and grew up with the kids.”

Her many interests included reading, quilting, music, and digging old dumps, but at the top of her list was family. She was the love that was constant and enduring through the years and love is the priceless legacy she leaves her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all who knew her.

She is survived by nine children, Cassandra Ewing of Saco, Melinda Parlin of Andover, Harland of Dixfield, Jerry, Kelvin and Raymond of Farmington, Rodney and Randall of Chesterville, and Ronal of Temple; 24 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband of 63 years; two infant children, Mary and Ashley; five brothers and six sisters, Lloyd of Langtown, Floyd of Stratton, Richard and James of Farmington, Morris of New Portland, Ruth Seavey and Irene Childs of Stratton, Hildred of Langtown, Isabel Mooar of West Farmington, Martha Heath of New Vineyard, and Lillian Durrell of Stafford Springs, Conn.

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