Gram Lermond, loved by all

Annie was nearly awake. She heard a voice speaking to her, “Mrs. Lermond, Mrs. Lermond.”

Whose voice was this? No one called her Mrs. Lermond. Her name was Annie Maria. Papa had always called her “Annie ’Ria.”

What room is this? Nothing felt familiar.

“Mrs. Lermond,” the voice again said. “If you’ll eat some breakfast, we’ll get you up in a chair to sit in the sun.”

Annie then remembered that Mildred had brought her to this place in Rockland, in the twilight of her life. As she dozed, she recalled the happy days of her youth on the hill in Millertown.

Annie had been born in May of 1882, in Lincolnville, the only child of Austin and Callie (Clark) Marriner. She had spent fun-filled days picking wildflowers and playing children’s games with her many cousins.

After all, Mamma had been the youngest daughter of the 11 children of John and Mary Ann (Clark) Clark. Even though Papa also had been an only child, his great-grandfather Naler Mariner, had been among the early settlers of the town of Lincolnville, then called New Canaan. Naler had built a log cabin behind the present house. Papa had cousins galore, both in the neighborhood and spread out across America.

Just down the road lived cousin Effie Miller. Across the fields lived another cousin, Horace Miller. In the other direction was cousin Clair Pottle. Effie and Annie romped together across the fields. They attended school in the Millertown district.

One day they even rode to Camden with Papa on his trip to Rockland with a load of lime casks made in his cooper shop. While in Camden, they had their picture taken together. A fine picture it was, printed on tin. Papa picked them up on his way back through town.

Annie remembered the trips to Boston when she was 10 years old and later, with Papa and Mamma. Papa had gone there to arrange for sales of his apples and farm produce. It was a great trip on the Eastern Steamship liners. They also visited relatives in Boston and the surrounding vicinity.

When it became time for her to go to high school, in 1899 and 1900, the neighborhood community hired Miss Mary B. Grant to teach the children at the Old Town House, down below Judge Miller’s.

The building had been built in 1820 and was old when they attended school there. Each student brought a stand and a chair from home to use as a desk. Most of the students were related, among whom were Horace, Effie, Clair Pottle, the Pitcher girls, Millers, McKinneys, Thomas, Pattens and others who Annie could not recall.

Papa had an interest in a movement called the Grange, even before Annie was born. She remembered going as a small child, to Grange meetings at Farmer’s Pride and Mystic Grange in Belmont.

On April 28, 1898, mostly through the efforts of her father, Austin, and other civic-minded neighbors, 27 of them met at the Old Town House for the purpose of organizing a Grange by the name of Tranquility. Papa was installed as the first Master.

Sixteen-year old Annie was the log-keeper, writing down the happenings of the group. For the rest of her life, Annie was active as a member of the Grange, which was a “second-home” for the members.

Annie recalled that in 1899, a year later, the group decided it was time to have its own hall. After fund-raising suppers, dances, pledges and offers from volunteers, the grand building was completed in 1904. The satisfaction in their new building was short-lived when the hall was destroyed by fire. Neighbors and Grange members managed to save some of the windows, chairs, and desks which were stored in the Old Town House.

Annie and Effie often walked across the woods to visit Aunt Villa Pottle. Cousin Clair would have friends visiting, doing all of the things that young men do. They enjoyed racing their horses, helping with the haying and other farm chores.

Among the friends were: Edgar Levenseller; his sisters, Addie and Jennie; Bernard, Frankie and Richard Lermond; with their sisters, Maud and Katie Lermond.

What fun the group of young people had — sleigh rides in the winter and feasting at picnics and swimming in the pond across from Addie and Jennie's house, in the summer.

Richard Lermond, who everyone called Rich, and Annie had a mutual attraction. The couple was soon courting. They attended the dances for the Grange, card playing and enjoying each other’s company. Rich was handsome, witty and a catch for any young girl. He soon asked Papa for her hand in marriage.

On Christmas Eve, 1901, Rich and 19-year-old Annie went on a sleigh ride to Camden, where they were married by L. D.. Evans, justice of the peace. It was a crisp, cold moonlit night as they rode back to Lincolnville, via the Turnpike, with sleigh bells ringing, to the Old Town House where a party was waiting. Rich was so happy to have her as his bride, that as they danced around, he picked her up, dancing an Irish jig.

The couple settled in on the hill in the old Marriner farmhouse. The next year, 1902, was an unhappy year for the couple. Grandmother Clark had died before Annie was born. Annie recalled hearing that Dr. Neal had made an autopsy on grandmother. He discovered two tumors, weighing abut six and four pounds, respectively. He thought they had caused her demise.

Grandfather Clark moved up to the hill to live with the family. He died in January 1902, one week after Annie and Rich’s wedding. He was 90 years old.

Rich’s mother, Mary had been born in Ireland. Annie loved to hear her Irish accent, and to listen to Mary and her daughters sing. Then, Aug. 9, 1902, seven months after their wedding, Rich’s lively soft-spoken mother, who had been kicked in the head by a horse, died at age 59.

One week later, Rich’s sister, Maud died. She was 29. Two months after Maud’s death, Rich’s little brother, Frankie died, at age 27. All three had died of tuberculosis. Rich was grief-stricken. Theirs had been such a happy close-knit family.

Mildred was born in 1903, followed by Callie, Mary, Margaret and Bernice. Callie was named after Mamma and Mary after Rich's mother. Baby Callie was born in February 1905.

Two months later, Mamma died of heart trouble, at age 51. Mamma had always been there for Annie, who had been an only child. Mamma had only been sick a few weeks, when suddenly she was gone. Mamma had been active in the Grange, always helping those who were sick or in need. At her funeral, nearly every member of the Grange attended.

After the Grange Hall burned in 1904, some members were hesitant to rebuild. Annie and Papa were among those who vowed to press on and rebuild. Papa and Rich helped work on the second hall, while Annie and the other women prepared meals for the carpenters. At last, they had the building up, ready for the plasterers.

Annie remembered the day, May 25, 1908, when the phone rang from  Lincolnville Centre phone office, telling everyone on the line that Tranquility Grange was again burning. Papa and Rich went down to help fight the fire, but alas, this hall also was destroyed. Annie wept. All that work, gone up in smoke. It was rumored that one of Annie’s cousins had set the fire.

They were back to having no hall. In the summer and early fall of 1908, the Grange cleared up the debris of the burned Grange site. A determined group once again hired carpenters, with much volunteer labor and materials, and set about to build another Grange Hall. This time instead of plaster, they put in beautiful pressed metal walls and ceilings. The new Grange hall was ready for use in January of 1909. This hopefully would be the last Grange Hall they would have to build.

Life was simple for Rich and Annie on the hill. The family enjoyed Grange picnics at Oakland Park in Rockport. It was a happy time when the Grange families got together, eating, drinking, with the children playing and romping in the park. The neighborhood families also went on group excursions, complete with picnic lunch. They picked blueberries to be canned for the winter up on Stevens Mountain, near home.

Annie sewed for her family, making dresses for the girls, quilts for their warmth and fancywork for Grange competition at the fair. She recalled that one time, Rich’s sister, Kate, had given her bolts of white material. She had made the girls white dresses, which they wore with pride to the Grange picnic at Oakland park.

Dr. Elmer Gould diagnosed Papa with influenza in the spring of 1915. Julia was born in the fall of 1915, delivered by Dr. Gould. Julia was a beautiful baby, and loved by Annie, Rich, Papa and all of her sisters. Papa never really rallied from the flu. He died in February 1916, at 69 years of age. Annie and Rich’s baby girl, Julia, died of pneumonia New Year’s Day, 1917, just over 1 year old. After Papa died, Rich’s father, who had been alone much since his wife’s death, moved into the farmhouse with their family.

The five Lermond girls were very attractive. Someone once asked Rich if he regretted not having boys. Rich’s reply was, “Where there are girls, there will be boys!”

The Lermond home was a hub of activity, with relatives coming for the summer from Massachusetts and from across the country.

Callie was the first to marry in 1923 to J. Everett Morse of Belmont. Mildred married Allen Morton in January 1925, followed by Mary, who married Everett’s brother, Amon in March, 1925. Rich and Annie soon had a growing household of grandchildren.

Rich, being truly Irish, had a taste for alcohol, much to the chagrin of Papa, who did not imbibe in alcoholic beverages, being an abolitionist. Rich made a smooth hard cider and vinegar from his apple trees. He passed his secret recipe for apple cider to his son-in-law, Amon. He also made home-brew, an alcoholic drink made from malt and yeast. This was during the Prohibition era. Annie was not always tolerant of his drinking habits.

One time, she secretly knocked the bung out of his barrel of brew, letting the foul-smelling beverage go down the cellar drain. Rich never knew how the bung happened to come loose.

Annie would never forget that Tuesday evening, Dec. 13, 1927. Annie was clearing up the supper dishes, when Rich came in to tell her that he’d started the gasoline engine, used to generate electrical power for the lights. He went back to the barn, finding it all ablaze. While attempting to put out the fire, he was badly burned on his face and hands. Neighbors were alerted, coming to help fight the fire with a bucket brigade, but it was useless. They lost the buildings, four horses, 10 cows, and six hogs. They also lost the crop of hay, the apples stored from his orchards for shipping, 100 bushel of dry beans, 450 bushel of potatoes, most of the farm machinery, and all of the household furniture, some of which had been in the family for 150 years, back for five generations.

Annie was glad Papa was not here to see the destruction caused by the fire. The estimated loss was $10,000, which was partially insured. They concluded the gasoline engine had exploded.

In the excitement of the fire, 16-year-old Bernice carried her nephew, Allen Jr. down to the neighbor’s, Lucius and Myrabell Russ.

Allen Jr. was a chunky child. Bernice told her mother how her arms had ached carrying the heavy child. Margaret, then 17, was credited with saving a wooden chest of family photos and certificates which were stored at the top of the stairs. Rich was taken to the Camden hospital by neighbors to tend to his burns. He recuperated at Mildred and Allen’s apartment in Camden.

The neighbors and members of the Grange rallied to rebuild the farm buildings. A benefit was held by the Grange. Rich heard of a barn on Spring Brook Hill in Camden. He, his sons-in-law and neighbors dismantled the barn, hauling it back to Millertown where they reassembled it. Kindly neighbors and Grange members donated some livestock, and household furniture. Annie and Rich lived in the room over the cooper shop until the house was completed enough to live in. Life slowly returned to normal.

Mildred and Allen worked in the Woolen Mill in Camden, leaving Allen Jr. to attend Miller School, living with his grandparents, Rich and Annie. In May 1936, Allen Jr. became sick. He was taken to the hospital in Rockland, X-rayed, followed by surgery from which he never recovered. He died May 18, 1936, aged 9 years and 8 months, of typhoid pneumonia. Annie, and especially Rich, grieved for the boy who had always lived with them.

One year later, on a hot day, June 13, 1937, the family was called together to search for Rich. He had not been well. He was scheduled for an operation on his back at Waldo County Hospital in Belfast. He had gone out hunting and had not returned. The family spread out across the fields, searching for him. Three hours later, he was found on a stone wall in the back field. It appeared that his foot became caught between two logs on the wall, causing him to fall upon his gun, which discharged, killing him.

Rich was nearly 58 years old. He had always been a prominent citizen of the town, a farmer and a cooper. He was an active member of the Grange, and belonged to King David’s Masonic Lodge. Whenever there was a need in the community, Rich would be there with baskets of food, hay for animals, or whatever the need might be.

Annie wept as she recalled her loss. Life was lonesome without Rich. Callie, Everett and the girls moved in with her to help keep up the farm. Mildred and Allen had taken over Grandfather Lermond’s farm across the woods. One day, as Everett was leaving to go to work, he met Allen leading his cattle up over the hill to the barn. Mildred and Allen moved into the big old farmhouse with them. Callie, Everett and the girls soon purchased the old Fredson farm up the road.

In the fall of 1941, Mary and Amon’s little 11-year-old daughter, Janette became sick and needed surgery for a serious sinus disease. Dr. Carl Stevens of Belfast performed the surgery, but Janette died in October of that year.

Around that time, Annie moved into Aunt Frances Churchill’s home down by the cemetery, where she lived for a few years. Bernice and Ivan lived next door. Annie tended their young children while Bernice worked. Harry Dole, Aunt Carrie’s third husband, who was widowed, lived next door in Grandfather Clark’s old home.  Harry, who was Annie's second cousin, visited Annie several evenings a week. They enjoyed sitting on the porch and chatting about family and the happenings of the day in the evening hours.

Margaret and Bob lived across from Lucius and Myrabell Russ. In 1951, Bernice opened a lunch stand at the head of Megunticook Lake. Annie enjoyed helping Bernice at Sunset Cove, greeting old friends and neighbors who she’d known all of her life.

In her sunset years, when she was unable to work, Annie returned to the farm where she’d been born. Mildred had an apartment made for her upstairs in the farmhouse that Rich had built.

Annie had seen so much in her nearly 87 years. Now she was in an unfamiliar room. She thought she heard Rich’s familiar loving voice as an angel held her hand. The nurse was coming back to sit her in the sun. There was no need now. The cares of life fell off, as Annie reached for Rich’s hand, stepping into her new life, with all of those whom she had loved so dearly.

Annie had been called Gram Lermond by her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She died in Rockland on April 13, 1969. She was buried in Union Cemetery with Rich, their baby daughter, Julia, Papa, Mamma, Little Allen, Janette, and all the generations that had gone before her, including her great-grandparents who had been among the first settlers to come to the town of Lincolnville, building in the back settlement.   Annie had been the fifth generation to live on the land deeded to her forebears.