Stella P. Messer

BRUNSWICK- Stella Perkins Messer died peacefully on Aug. 25, 2025. She was 86. She was born on July 19, 1939, in Lewiston, the daughter of Frederick and Charlotte Perkins, and lived there until she was eleven when the family moved to Auburn. As a young child she spent time each summer at the family’s cottage located on Stover’s Beach in Harpswell. This was something she spoke about often. Later in life she enjoyed taking her grandkids there to show them the beach and to skip stones on the water.

Stella graduated from Edward Little High school in 1959. After high school, she worked for Central Maine Power for a year before attending Gorham State Teacher’s College where she met her future husband, Allen. They were married in 1960, and enjoyed a wonderful 61 years of marriage before his death in 2021.

Stella yearned to be a teacher and returned to college to complete her education at the University of Maine at Gorham in 1974 once her children were old enough to be in school full-time. She taught 3rd and 4th grades at the elementary schools in Oxford and Norway for many years.

Upon retirement she and Allen moved to Poland Spring. During that time, she enjoyed spending many hours in her beautiful gardens and entertaining family and friends in their backyard. She and Allen were also very active in the Minot Methodist church. There, they made many friends and enjoyed spending time on church projects and helping to put on many church suppers. Stella worked tirelessly on the family’s genealogy and achieved the goal of tracing her family back to the Mayflower, leaving a wonderful gift for her children’s families for many years to come.

Stella’s children have many fond memories of time spent at the family camp on Thompson Lake, and special trips to the hunting camp in Peru where the family fished for brook trout, hunted, and hiked the surrounding area. One special memory that stands out is when the family packed up and spent the entire summer traveling throughout Canada, visiting Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick hauling a tent trailer and living in camping areas.

“Gram” especially loved her grandchildren. She and Allen made it a priority to attend many of their special events as they grew up. They truly enjoyed the times when they could play games, entertain them, and pass along loving wisdom. They tried to be a positive influence and encourage them in all their educational goals.

Stella was predeceased by her parents and sisters, Peggy and Charlene. She is survived by her children, Keith (Joanne), Wayne (David), and Kim (Glenn), her sister, Dottie, her grandchildren, Joel, Katie, Sonja, Valerie, Olivia, and Margo, and nine great grandchildren, as well as many special friends.

A Celebration of her Life will be held at the Highland Cemetery, 211 Megquire Hill Rd., Poland on September 20, at 10:30 a.m., followed by a reception at the Poland Springs Bottling Museum, 123 Preservation Way, Poland Spring. Online condolences may be shared with Stella’s family at http://www.chandlerfunerals.com.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice.