Phillips honored couple, Kathy and Charlie Gould. Submitted photo
PHILLIPS — Charlie and Kathy (Abbott) Gould are lifelong residents of Phillips. During their childhood years, their families both worked at farming and lumbering.
“That’s pretty much the way things were around here,” they agreed.
Charlie graduated from Phillips High School in 1969, a member of the last class to do so. Kathy attended Mt. Abram Regional High School in Salem, graduating in 1975.
On New Year’s Eve, 1978, a dance at the Legion Hall in Farmington precipitated their getting together. Charlie was there with his date. Kathy attended with her sister and brother-in-law, Ginny and Mike Auger. Ginny was a classmate of Charlie’s. Charlie left the dance early to take his date home, then returned. As fate would have it, he and Kathy danced the last dance together. Charlie followed the Augers and Kathy home and stayed to visit for awhile before heading home himself. He left with an invitation from Ginny “to come back in the morning for some blueberry muffins”.
Exactly one year later, Kathy and Charlie were married. They celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary this past New Year’s.
The couple has three daughters: Andrea (and Chris), Tina, and Sara (and Mike Spear); eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, with a third on the way. All continue to reside in the Phillips area.
The Gould’s began their married life at their home on Bridge Hill. Over a period of 18 months, beginning in 1985, they built their current residence, as did Mike and Ginny, using Norwegian spruce planted by the Harnden family in Letter E Plantation.
“It was a family affair,” commented their daughter, Sara.
Before retiring in 2016, Charlie worked 30 years at Knapp’s Garage in Kingfield. When it closed, he worked two years in Wilton before coming back to Phillips to work at Nick Sanders’ garage on Main Street.
Kathy, a CNA (certified nurses’ assistant), worked for Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice as a home health aide for 26 years before her retirement in 2018.
The couples’ hobbies include helping at the Northwoods Pull Track & Mud Runs, owned by Mike Auger and located near the airport in Avon. Another project that highlights the theme of “family” for this couple.
Throughout the years, the two have always been involved with their community, including volunteering during the Annual Phillips Old Home Days (OHD) celebrations. They served on the OHD committee for four years. They’ve assisted with the Woodsmen’s Competition and the dance at the ‘Old Gym’, “probably since the mid-’80s”). They were instrumental in the placement of the Welcome to Phillips sign on route 4.
They are very involved in the local Narrow Gauge ATV Club. Kathy is the vice president; Charlie, the trailmaster. As founding members, the two have spent “many hours” with this group since 2003.
When they do take time for themselves, Kathy and Charlie enjoy taking “adventures”. According to daughter Sara, “They are regular jet setters!”
They have been to the Caribbean eight times and are certified scuba divers. At the time of this writing, they have flown out to Wyoming where they will rent a car and explore Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons, and, with the understanding that their itinerary is “subject to change”, whatever else piques their interest.
Closer to home, one of their favorite summer adventures is participating in “Grammie Camp” at Ginny’s camp on Porter Lake.
“I don’t know what I’d do without my family,” Kathy stated emphatically.
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