Stan Atwood    1928 - 2008

Stanley Nelson Atwood, 80, Bowdoinham, Maine, died Jan. 10, 2008, at his home, surrounded by his five children.

He was born in Lisbon, Maine, Jan. 9, 1928, the son of Horace Stanley Atwood and Clara Louise Moore. He attended local schools before joining the Army at the age of 17, where he proudly served for 30 years. His first tour of duty was near Bremen, Germany. There he met Ingeborg Behnert, his wife of 49 years, whom he called the love of his life, and whom he lost in 2001. His major role in the Army was working with the Army Corps of Engineers. He was a veteran of three wars; World War II, Korea and Vietnam. His Army career brought he and his family to many different locations including three tours of duty in Germany, as well as assignments in Missouri, Illinois, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maine and North Dakota.

He retired and moved back to Maine in 1976, first living in Topsham before building a home in Bowdoinham almost 20 years ago. Over the last several years, on any given day, he could be found sharing a meal and good conversation with his friends at Town Landing Restaurant, Bowdoinham.

Following retirement, he was involved in a variety of activities. He became a master teacher for Hunter Safety, Personal Safety and Junior Rifle Teams for the State of Maine. He also ran rifle and pistol classes for the NRA. He taught classes for over 20 years, believing that safety in the use of firearms was of the utmost importance. He joined Merrymeeting Sportsmen Association about 26 years ago. He has been instrumental in the club's programs and activities, and has served as president, secretary and treasurer. The camaraderie and friendships he made while in this association were one of his greatest pleasures.

In recent years, he enjoyed attending Woodturning Association meetings, learning to make wooden bowls. Although he was a woodworker his entire life, he always enjoyed learning new skills in the hobby that he loved. He both gave and received a tremendous amount of love and respect from friends and family alike, including his many beloved Brittany spaniels. In recent years he enjoyed traveling with and visiting his family members, most recently to Alaska, Minnesota, Germany and Lake George, N.Y.

Surviving are his daughters, Karin Atwood Congleton and her husband, Brian Congleton, Topsham, and Donna Louise Atwood, Alexandria, Va.; and his sons, Eric Benjamin Atwood and his wife, Corie Atwood, and Alan Horace Atwood, all of Bismarck, and Gary Nelson Atwood and his wife, LuAnn Atwood, Bowdoinham. He has five grandchildren, Joel, Kristi, Lindsey, Kyla and Cole; as well as four great-grandchildren, Tiffany, Jondrea, Rhondi and Paige. Also surviving are his siblings, Phyllis Epps, Ronald and Larry Atwood and Merrilyn Tombrinck, all of Topsham.

Visiting hours will be from 6 to 8 p.m. EST Sunday, Jan. 13, at Stetson's Funeral Home, 12 Federal St., Brunswick, Maine, 04011. Funeral services with military honors will be held at 10 a.m. EST Monday at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to either Coastal Humane Society, 30 Range Road, Brunswick, or Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, 84A Union Street, Brunswick. Memorial condolences may be expressed and a video tribute may be viewed here.

Stan’s daughter Karin sent this along

A few years ago I became interested in kayaking. I asked dad if he would help me build a wooden kayak. Over a 13-month period in 2002-03, we worked on the kayak. The kayak actually took 8 months to build – he had heart surgery and rehab within that time span, stopping our progress for 5 months until he got his strength back. I would go to his shop several nights a week for a couple of hours and at least one weekend day. Everything was made by hand ... from cutting the individual strips to hand braiding the rope pulls and cutting the brass fittings for the hatches. Dad was a great teacher – showing me each technique along the way, and letting me then do it myself.

In the summer of 2003, we had a launching, so yes, we finished her – "Heartshine". She is hanging in my garage. As important to me as the kayak is, even more important is the memory of the countless number of hours in Dad's shop, working together, listening to classical music and smelling sawdust.

Before Christmas of 2006, Dad started to teach me just a bit about turning bowls. He has a few bowls at his house – this weekend I'll take a couple of photos and send them to you. They are mostly unfinished – I think he always considered himself a dabbler at woodturning and admired so much of the work that all of you did.

I've included a photo of me in the kayak, (taken by my friend Mary) just so you can see that it did get finished!

Thanks,

Karin Congleton

Harrison Smith passed away on May 25, 2007.

We hardly knew ye Harry; and that’s our loss.

Thanks for leaving this behind so we can learn.

Robert A. Burgess   1930 - 2006

Jay, Maine - Robert A. Burgess, 75, a resident of Old Jay Hill Road, Jay, died Thursday, March 9, at his home surrounded by his family after a short illness.

He was born in Westbrook, on April 26, 1930, the son of Clarence Winfred and Evelyn (Bailey) Burgess and was a graduate of Windham High School. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. On July 26, 1953, he married the former Mildred Storer of Livermore Falls in Portland.

He worked at Saunders Bros. for 41 years, retiring in 1989. He had also worked for Gannett Publishing Co. delivering newspapers.

In his spare time, he enjoyed carpentry, wood turning and hunting. He was a life member of the VFW in Windham, a member of the Maine Wood Turners Association, the Western Maine Wood Turners and the Maine-A-Bago Camping Association.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years of Jay; a son, Wesley Burgess and his wife, Michelle, of Orland; a sister, Elizabeth Harriman of Windham; four grandchildren, Angela, Robert, Shannon and Amberlyn Burgess; four great-grandchildren; in-laws, Betty Downing of Tallahassee, Fla., George and Linda Storer of Oxford and Zephyrhills, Fla., Louise and Maynard Veinotte of Jay, Gladys and Larry Sabine of Oklahoma City, Okla., Robert Storer of Jay and James Howes and his wife, Sarah, of Winthrop; and a nephew, Arthur G. "Buzzy" Harriman of Jay.

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