1910 – 2013

WEST PARIS — Orrell E. Linnell, 103, of Otisfield, passed on to a better place on Sunday, Dec. 1, after being a resident of Ledgeview Living Center for several years. Initially, he was a resident in one of the apartments, but ultimately moved to the long-term care unit. While there, he acquired many new friends and the staff became part of his extended family.

He was born in Lynn, Mass., on March 16, 1910, the firstborn of George and Mary Leggat Linnell. He attended schools in Massachusetts, Otisfield and Norway. He also attended Bentley College in Boston in 1930, with a major in accounting. He was the only surviving member of his Norway High School graduating class. Class reunions were held at his residence, with members of the alumni paying him a visit to honor his longevity.

After graduating from high school and Bentley, he worked as a farmer on the family farm on Gore Road in Otisfield, until he ventured into other occupations, which included being a boiler tender on a barge in Portland, to traveling to the West coast (including Hawaii) to support the war efforts. Ultimately, he returned to the farm in Otisfield to raise mass production produce and chickens (broilers). He also harvested the lumber and used it to construct some of the outbuildings used to store supplies and equipment. With horses and oxen being the primary source of energy for farming, there was also plenty of hay and other animal feed to be harvested.

During his travels to the West Coast, he met the love of his life, Lottie Terwilliger, and they were married on July 28, 1947, in Stephenson, Wash. They came back to Maine and together they managed a productive farm, in addition to raising several foster children.

Orrell was a longtime Grange member and a 64-year member of Crooked River Masonic Lodge No. 152 in Bolsters Mills.

During his spare time, he would construct items necessary to make the farming tasks easier and to apply his ingenuity. He donated several farm implements to the Oxford County Fair. His ingenuity was clearly displayed in his hobby of taking pieces of raw lumber and turning them into magnificent finished products such as bowls, candle holders and numerous other useful items. It is believed that the replica of the Liberty Bell, which he donated to the town of Otisfield, was his most significant wood-turning project. He traveled to Philadelphia to view the Liberty Bell and returned to begin the project, determined to have it completed for the 1976 bicentennial. During that year, he would load the bell into his pickup truck and travel the area to display it.

Orrell was the recipient of the Boston Post Cane from the town of Otisfield at his 100th birthday party, held at Ledgeview Living Center in West Paris, with more than 100 attendees. For his subsequent birthdays, he preferred to not have as much attention. Although he enjoyed going on shopping trips and taking fellow Ledgeview Living Center residents with him, he decided on his 100th not to renew his driver’s license and become a full-fledged retiree. This reduced his visits to his relatives and numerous friends, which resulted in them coming to visit him and take him on excursions, which he enjoyed. He visited the wind towers on Spruce Mountain in Woodstock twice and took his first motorcycle ride in a sidecar escorted by his friends, Glendon and Martha Hadley of West Paris.

Another of Orrell’s hobbies was to be a regular correspondent for the Advertiser Democrat. His numerous writings about life during the earlier years in central Oxford County were a regular article and enjoyed by many. While writing the articles for the newspaper, he also compiled a collection of numerous documentaries of his life experiences.

To the very end, Orrell possessed a very sharp awareness and welcomed a conversation about the past or current events. His interest in life was never-ending and the enjoyment he got from his many visitors was immeasurable. This enjoyment was evident by the frequent smiles and chuckles he couldn’t hold back.

He is survived by his nephew, Malcolm Woodworth and his wife, Pat, of Payson, Ariz.; nieces, Anita Woodworth Davies of Derry, N.H., Glenice Johnson Henderson and her husband, Quentin, of Otisfield, Sharon Johnson Bannister of Sabattus, Barbara Linnell Verrill of South Paris and Patty Linnell Brackett of Lewiston; and foster children, David Billings of West Paris, Gloria Tilson of Belgrade Lakes and Joan Henderson of West Paris.

He was predeceased by his parents; sisters, Dorothy Johnson and Rita Woodworth; a brother, Leroy; a niece, Glenna Johnson Dresser (twin sister of Glenice); and foster son, Dale Billings.

He will be sadly missed by all who had the opportunity to make his acquaintance.

Online condolences may be shared with his family at www.chandlerfunerals.com or in the care of Quentin and Glenice Henderson, 183 Bean Road, Otisfield, ME 04270.