AUBURN — Mary Ellen Austin Young Pulkinen, 89, a resident of Clover Manor Nursing Home in Auburn, formerly of Livermore, died Saturday, June 30, at her residence.

She was born July 17, 1922, in Monmouth, the daughter of Harry and Myrtle (Loubey) Austin. She was a 1939 graduate of Leavitt Institute in Turner.

On March 15, 1940, she married S/Sgt. Edward “Ned” Bryan Young and they had two children, Sandra Ellen and Edward Jr. Ned was killed in action at the Battle of the Bulge on March 1, 1945.

On Dec. 4, 1950, in North Turner, she married her husband of 40 years, Walter Emil Pulkinen, and they had three children, Walter Arnold, Alanna and Alecia. He passed away March 1, 1991.

Mary was a wonderful cook and was well-known for the beautiful wedding cakes she made. She catered weddings and baked for the Blue Line Diner and Lake Shore Motel in Livermore. Mary also made beautiful needlepoint and enjoyed sharing the pieces with her family.

Mary and Walter lived in Livermore for many years, and were members of Wayside Bible Baptist Church, where she was a teacher’s aide in the Christian School. Mary was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother.

She will be greatly missed by her family and those who knew her and will be remembered for the gentle caring person that she was.

She is survived by her three daughters and their husbands, Sandra and Lawrence Caldwell of Turner, Alanna and Robert Olivadoti of Yarmouth and Alecia and James Cole of Westbrook; two sons, Edward Young and his wife, Elva, of Douglas, Mass., and Walter “Arnie” Pulkinen of Eliot; 13 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter, Olivia.

She was predeceased by her husbands, Edward “Ned” Young and Walter Pulkinen; her brother, Arnold “Ozzie” Austin; her sister, Glenda Austin; and her great-grandson, Tucker Curtis.

Messages of condolence may be sent to: www.finleyfuneralhome.com.