Esther Nellie Watson

CANTON — Esther Nellie Watson, 101, died Sunday, Aug. 13, at Pinnacle Health and Rehab, Canton, where she had resided since 2011.

Esther was born in Troy, Vt., on Jan. 4, 1916, the daughter of Claude Smith and Ruth Edmunds. Esther’s first husband was Clarence Shover. They separated in 1952, and in 1953 she moved to Rumford and married Phil Arsenault. After Phil’s passing she married Roy Watson, a former schoolmate from Vermont.

Esther drove a school bus for many years while living in Vermont. She was never without knitting needles and an abundant supply of yarn from which she made hundreds of pairs of mittens, toques and socks which she always gave away. During WWII she served as a volunteer air raid warden in a converted bandstand on the common in Irasburg, Vt. She also folded bandages for the wounded servicemen and assembled mattresses for their bunks.

After moving to Maine, Esther worked as a stitcher in a shoe shop in Livermore and later was employed by the Yard Goods Store in Rumford for many years and took home mending as well.

Survivors include three sons, Richard Shover Sr. and wife, Patricia, Perley Shover and wife, Shirley, and Lawrence Shover; one daughter, Rachel Leckey and husband, James; grandchildren, Richard Jr., Douglas, Alan, Laurie, Deborah, Kevin and Michelle Shover, and Kevin and Glen Jamison; great-grandchildren, Benjamin and Zachary Cross, Justin, Monika, Benjamin, Andrew, Samantha, Matthew and Kyle Shover, Adam Blodgett-Shover, Chelsea and Krista Vattes, Danielle, Jonathan, Aaron and Katelyn Jamison; and stepgreat-grandson, Aaron White; great-great-grandchildren, Christin Sparks, Ivan Hills, Lucas and Caleb Shover, Sophia, Killian and Arya Jamison; stepgreat-great-granddaughter, Harley Newman; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by a brother, Wallace Smith and four sisters, Helen Bessette, Charlotte Bousquet, Margaret Sheltra and Lucy Bousquet; and a granddaughter, Kathy Shover.

Esther was a member of the Village Scrappers Quilting Group, the New Norlands Grange 508, and the Wayside Baptist Church in Livermore.

Friends are invited to sign the family register book and share their thoughts, condolences and fond memories online at www.meaderandson.com.